My New Wife's Not Human
by lalunaticscribe
Summary: Byakuya is forcibly married to another noble, but there is more to her that meets the eye... along with Seireitei's mysterious shadows, and his attraction to her. If only he could remember...ByakuyaxOC. Humor,contains romance.
1. Chapter 1 A Twist in Plot

LaLunaticScribe presents:

Monsters of Seireitei

It was a peaceful day at Seireitei, the centre of Soul Society. Just like every other usual day, Kyoraku thought. The high noon sun shining in the middle of an azure sky dotted with white clouds and the occasional bird crossed his vision as he took a swig from the vase-shaped sake jug he always seemed to have around him. Looking down from his position on the roof, he could see the 11th Squad's training barracks, teeming with action as Ikkaku trashed newbie after newbie in martial combat, the 2nd Squad's Soi Fon leading her soldiers in some sort of drill, and pretty much everything to see in Seireitei. He took another swig from the jug, allowing his eyes to stray towards the Western entrance, and then spat all the sake out in disbelief.

For the first time in memory, he could actually see the Gate wide open, high enough even for Jidanbou to walk through without bending. However, he was more focused on WHO was getting through the gate, and on his own instincts. All his hair was standing on end, in a feeling he could not remember except from the first Gotei Juusantai's Kenpachi. The only Shinigami in history to take down a Vasto Lorde and live, only to turn down a position in the Zero Division, defeat Captain of said Division, and go into quiet retirement in the 80th district of Rukongai, spending his days massacring anyone stupid enough to stand in his way.

A human figure, easily six feet tall, stood in the doorway. The figure, easily that of an old man, nevertheless did not make Kyoraku lower his guard. Rather it sent the old, yet rather unfamiliar emotion of fear through his entire body, somehow remembering the monster teacher that had trained him and Ukitake into the Captains they were right now. Quickly picking himself up, he hurriedly shunpo'ed to the First Squad's quarters. Yamajii had a lot of questions to answer concerning the reason the Shodai Kenpachi was here. It only meant bad news.

Meanwhile, every single Captain, including even the wild Kenpachi for once, had seen fit to hold an emergency meeting. As the last Captain shuffled towards his place, the normally barricaded entrance burst open, with the two guards outside flying in and landing on both sides of Yamamoto Shigekuni Genryuusai. Captain of the 1st Squad and Captain-Commander of the Juusantai.

"Err... Ryuuhito, what brings you here now? And in such a flashy position, too." The Captain-Commander spoke from his stand at the head of the room in his normal dry, commanding and authorative tone that Kyoraku was sure would work as well on Yachiru than on this particular person. Or monster, given his legendary standing as the only Kenpachi to ever survive till today.

Ukitake Juushirou, Captain of the 13th Squad, was trembling from head to foot as he remembered his combat lessons with the monster in question. He had actually celebrated and treated Kyoraku to sake on hearing about the retirement party. Maybe this is all a bad dream, so God, please let me have a tuberculosis attack now. For once, I'm actually glad I was down with this disease.

Across Ukitake, Kurotsuchi Mayuri was actually afraid of something so... old.

Zaraki Kenpachi was, as usual, excited and ready for battle. However, the adrenaline rush now came with a tinge of fear.

Kuchiki Byakuya simply opened one eye to observe the newcomer. So this is the legendary Asura Kenpachi, he thought calmly, even though is heart rate was speeding up to an emotion he realised was fear. Fear of the prey from the predator.

Kazumi Ryuuhito, the celebrated 'Asura Kenpachi', the 'Scary Person' as was his Rukongai nickname, the 'Monster' as he was known among his former students, the overall most terrifying Shinigami known to history, then went onto his knees in front of all thirteen Captains and slammed his head onto the parquet flooring, destroying the smooth wooden surface immediately, and went "Please, Yamamoto San, be a matchmaker for my granddaughter."


	2. Chapter 2 Omiais are not so scary

LaLunaticScribe presents:

Monsters in Seireitei 2

Kyoraku was sure that the bouncing sound he could hear right now was coming from his jawbone against the floor. Or maybe that was Ukitake's, or Zaraki's, or even Soi Fon's. Whoever the jaw belonged to, he could appreciate it. Nothing else could better present the incredulous atmosphere that came with that request.

There was suddenly an unexplained buzz in the air as the other Captains began to comprehend what Kazumi Ryuuhito had just said. Even Byakuya opened both eyes incredulously, his mouth slightly open with incredulity. Surveying the slightly stooping figure on his knees, he thought: "the gall! Exactly who invades Seireitei to ask for a matchmaker?"

Yamamoto coughed dryly, and then asked the very question that Kyoraku was wondering himself: "On a side note, how did you get Jidanbou to open the gate? You surely wouldn't beat him up. You'll kill him before taking even one step forward."

"Let's see... Ah, yes. I walked up, told him what I planned to do, threw in a few hints about wanting to help Seireitei rebuild itself, and seeing as I control Rukongai's entire black market, am the head of a high noble house, and that I am expressly 'armed'" here with emphasis on 'armed', motioning towards a sword tied to his belt, "he decided to do the smart thing and let me in. Not illegal, I hope? The poor guy wouldn't have any chance, and technically didn't break any rules letting a noble in."

"Hang on, you're a noble?" Kyoraku burst out, if the situation could be any more incredible.

"What, you didn't know? Then again, lay off the sake once in a while. You fight like a drunkard, waving those sabres around like a dancer." Ryuuhito shot back. "Kazumi Ryuuhito, 26th head of the Kazumi family."

Why I didn't figure out from his surname, Byakuya thought. The Kazumi family's one of the Four Great Houses, even if they are more liked by Rukongai. This situation just got a whole lot weirder.

"Anyway, I heard about Aizen, decided to help, and quickly massacred the idiots I was fighting with before I began to shunpo all the way here. Then, as I was packing, I thought, why not settle my cute granddaughter down with some Shinigami while at Seireitei. And so here I am." Ryuuhito continued with a grin.

"So, tell me, Ryuuhito, why are you here?" Yamamoto shot at him with authority in his voice. However, one could fail to see the tiny beads of sweat beginning to form on his bald head.

"Here's a proposition: I help out in Seireitei, pay for reparations, not to mention donate a bit to the budget. Also, I come out of retirement." At this. Kyoraku's legs began shaking, and Ukitake nearly had a coughing fit. "You probably need the firepower anyway. So, generally, I do the hundred and odd things that could take years to finish within six months, paid all out of my own pocket." Then, everyone started wondering how much Ryuuhito actually had within the Kazumi coffers.

"I strongly do not think that you would do all that from the generosity and kindness of your heart. So, in exchange for all these things, you want me to matchmake. And if I refuse, knowing you, you would put Seireitei in a bloodbath. Even if I, along with all Captains, were to square off against you alone, we would be severely injured, if not dead, which is something the Juusantai cannot afford now. However, if I were to agree, both sides, but mostly our side would benefit."

"Exactly."

"Very well, I accept."

"I thought you might." he said with a smirk.

"So, what are the conditions?"

"Hmmm... who's the only Captain who's male, unscarred, not a freak, and within the proper age limit for marriage, and who is not always drunk?"

At this, all the Captains turned to stare at Byakuya.


	3. Chapter 3 Omiais are Officially scary

LaLunaticScribe presents:

Monsters in Seireitei 3

Byakuya could feel the thirteen pairs of eyeballs training onto his general area. He could also feel surprise, an emotion he never usually felt or showed, on his face. His ordered, more or less rather peaceful life had just taken a dive down the Cliffs of Insanity, and there was nothing else to do save to yell "Banzai!"

"Erm... Captain Zaraki, Captain Kyoraku, and Captain Hitsugaya, please take Ryuuhito San to the 11th Squad's compound and... show him around. I'm sure he would want to see how much his Division's quarters have changed." Zaraki and Kyoraku then appeared on either side of Ryuuhito, both with abnormally sinister smiles on their faces, grabbed him and frog-marched him out through the door, followed by Hitsugaya, bent over with effort not to laugh out loud just then.

As the echo from the doors closing reverberated through the hall, Yamamoto stepped forward and addressed the remaining Captains:

"As the Gotei Juusantai, our first and foremost duty is to protect Seireitei from invasion. However, after the Aizen incident..." Komamura and Ukitake winced at the reference to just a week ago, where three Captains defected, pull off the assassination of all the Central 46 members, and then murder Kuchiki Rukia for the Hougyoku in her soul. "... we do not know whether we can endure through another invasion of that scale, or what the future would hold. Therefore, we must get all the allies we can get." Several Captains actually nodded in unison. "Also, by doing this, we are actually reining in Ryuuhito's power in Soul Society. If left unchecked, Ryuuhito will prove to be an even bigger threat than anything Aizen can and would ever muster." Noting the surprised look on even Soi Fon's face, he continued: "Kazumi Ryuuhito was one of the forces behind the original Juusantai. Even till now, I strongly believe he would decimate anything in his way for his own pointless reasons, no matter how dumb they may be. As for the true scope of their social power, it is beyond anything a high noble house is supposed to have. Rumours state that they already control North, South and West Rukongai already. They could bring about a rebellion whenever they wish. Or, more accurately put, whenever his granddaughter wishes."

"His granddaughter?" Byakuya noted, still with a look of surprise on his sharp features.

"Err... suffice to say that he has a complex about her." Behind Byakuya, Ukitake and Mayuri were trying not to laugh at the thought of Ryuuhito with a complex of any sort, save for an intense blood thirst.

"Anyway, it's just to bring a few guys to an omiai that has almost zero chance of succeeding, so we might as well do just that. Byakuya, it's an _order_." Byakuya scowled. "Also, I think it's best to bring only those from 3rd seat onwards. They may have a better chance of... actually surviving."

As the meeting dispersed, Byakuya thought, _What is 'surviving' supposed to mean?_

Later on, Ukitake shunpo'ed as fast as his tuberculosis could allow to the 11th Squad quarters. There, he found the entire Squad, along with their Captain, Kyoraku, and Hitsugaya sprawled all around, luckily without much injury. Frankly, Ukitake wasn't surprised. Worse things had happened before. The only thing that caught his attention was that Ryuuhito didn't coat the place in blood.

"That must had hurt." He said to a stiff, more or less in pain Kyoraku while helping him up.

"I thought I was a goner there. Looks like the 'Monster' teacher still haven't changed."

"At least he left you alive."

"He was in a good mood."

"I see. By the way, Byakuya, unluckily, got unanimously chosen. So tomorrow, he's gonna drag the male lieutenants there for omiai."

"Kazumi Manor?"

"The very place."

"Wonder if they'll come out alive?"

"Hope so. Maybe, maybe not."

"But, his granddaughter..."

"What about her?"

"A beauty if I ever saw one. Looks about two years younger than Byakuya, but smart enough to use your own sword on you, right?"

"That's the one."

"The groom would be the luckiest man in Soul Society."

"You could go too, you know."

Kyoraku poured out a cup of sake from the bottle he always seemed to carry around him, scowling. "No way. Nothing's worth going five metres radius of Kazumi Sensei."

Abarai Renji, Lieutenant of 6th Squad, felt that his world had turned upside down upon hearing that he was to attend an omiai. Slack-jawed, he simply stared at his Captain, who had just informed him, and every other male lieutenant, of the crazy situation at the Western Gate and the subsequent omiai. Suffice to say, every lieutenant went "EEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?" in unison.

"Why are you staring so foolishly? That behaviour is most unlike my lieutenant." On hearing that, Renji quickly closed his mouth.

"Err...so it's an order?" Hisagi Shuuhei asked.

"YES, it is an order." Byakuya said it in the tone he usually reserved to those who were slow to comprehend, the 'I'm the Captain, so shut up and do it' tone. "So, I will see every single one of you at eleven o' clock tomorrow, at the 6th Squad barracks. Any other questions?" He asked, giving a 'death stare' to the idiot who even tried to ask.

Nobody asked.


	4. Chapter 4 Yokai Attack

LaLunaticScribe presents:

Monsters in Seireitei 4

"Why am I here, reminding me?" Omaeda Marechiyo whined as the entourage of Shinigami made their way to Kazumi Manor.

"Cause... Captain Kuchiki would have your head?" Izuru Kira offered as a suggestion. The other lieutenants laughed, though they all felt the same, namely, _what the fuck am I here for?_ But the only thing stopping them from voicing their objections was the _Die before saying anything_ aura that Byakuya was throwing off with every stride he took.

"What's up with him, Renji? Normally, he isn't that scary." Hisagi whispered to the 6th Squad lieutenant.

"From what I heard at the Kuchiki Manor, the elders found out."

Hisagi winced. The Elders of that particular family were a bunch of tight-lipped old farts who wielded enough influence in Rukongai to make anyone squirm. In fact, they were part of the reason the Kuchiki family were still on par with the Kazumi family.

"Which reminds me of that unlucky chump Captain is probably gonna decimate when he gets back." Renji continued. Technically, the 13th Squad 3rd Officer, in this case Kotsubaki Sentarou, would have been obliged to attend. The 3rd seat in question was now in the 4th Squad infirmary, worrying about Ukitake's renewed coughing when he should he praying that he wouldn't suffer death-by-shredding.

However, before he could start thinking about a few torture methods, his train of thought was interrupted as the Kazumi Manor came into view. For the first time since Shiba Kuukaku, Renji could only manage a choking sound as he got a _really_ good look and went "Err....it's really...._recognizable._"

Frankly, it looked just like every other Japanese manor Renji had ever laid eyes on. Albeit a manor in which two giant statues, each of old samurai in full armour and ten feet tall, stood sentry at either side of the gate, their red-rimmed eyes, clearly meant to intimidate, stared down at them. Above, on the center of the arch, was the Kazumi family crest of two katanas crossed over an open folding fan with only nine sticks. Somehow, Renji wondered if the red on it was blood. No surprises if it was.

As the entourage got closer, he saw that beside the giant statues, were about 20 or so smaller statues of foxes and cats. Wondering, yet again, what was the decoration scheme, Renji just took one look at the statues and felt his blood freeze.

_Did statues have reiatsu?_ He wondered before his brain told him the obvious answer and he bellowed "It's a trap!!"

Too late. About 20 ninjas, all dressed in special-forces black, surrounded the Captain and the five lieutenants.

"This time, I'm actually glad that Captain Kuchiki told us "Bring your Zanpakutou if you want to live."" Joked Iba as he released his sword and ran into the fray. Nobody answered as they were busy fighting, or, in the case of Omaeda and Kira, unconscious on the ground. Five seconds later, Iba joined them.

Byakuya, already frustrated by an all-night meeting with the elders continually griping in his ears, simply drew his sword and held it parallel to his body, issuing a command:

"Scatter, Senbonzakura."

The entire thing took about twenty seconds. Only three still stood: Byakuya, Renji and Hisagi. The others all lay unconscious and blood-covered around them.

"What the _fuck _was that about?" Renji growled as he resheathed Zabimaru. "Not that it isn't good training, but that was just damn unnatural."

"We sincerely apologise or being unnatural then." A soft, feminine voice near the ground mewed. The trio looked down and saw a cat. Black, with yellow pointed pupils glaring angrily up at him at it swished its tail side by side. It was almost completely coal black, save for a white streak running from the top of its head down the length of its tail. It was probably post-battle stress, but Renji swore that it carried the same expression as Captain Kuchiki looking at Kurosaki Ichigo; possibly like having stepped on something particularly disgusting.

_Great, now the cat also looks down on me, _he thought. Then, the cat continued: "You three still standing, please come with me. Ryuuhito Sama and Chiaki Sama, the current Head of House, are expecting whoever who's still standing or capable of actually walking."Its' eyes narrowed in distaste as Renji, startled in shock, had landed on the floor.

"Yo..ou..c..an talk?"he managed to stutter, his eyeballs fixed on it.

"So much for intelligent on the list." The cat muttered, as it turned around, then beckoned them to follow.

"But..but..."

"Shut up if you're stuttering. I am Yoichi, the Manor's chief of security, here to show you in." In subtext, _to show you into your funeral._

"Err... why were we attacked?" Hisagi quickly voiced before Renji decided to attack the cat. Byakuya answered.

"The Kazumi family, despite being one of the Four Noble Houses, are famous for not discriminating between commoners and nobles, only the weak and strong. By strong, they mean in combat. So, candidacy for clan head, or marriage into the family, extends to anyone strong enough. The only thing that really matters is combat ability."

"What Kuchiki Sama has said is correct. Therefore, in order to prevent con artists or weak people from getting in during omiai, we actually are ordered to attack every single candidate. No offence intended of course."

"_-.- ..._Even if you say that..."

"Body disposal gets rather troublesome when it comes to the Gotei Juusantai, so we simply knock them out. The 4th Squad should be on their way now."

_What kind of family attacks their future in-laws?_ Renji wondered as he, along with Byakuya and Hisagi, followed the cat into the manor. Somehow, the first expression that popped up when he saw the front hallway was 'haunted house'. Renji was willing to bet that the very convincing bloodstain on the wood-panelled wall was real.

Yet, the thing that really completed the gloomy atmosphere was the disembodied cacophony of fighting, crashing and swearing of people. Still, considering that this was the manor of one of Rukongai's kingpins, and the boss of West Rukongai's yakuza, not much surprises there.

"Chiaki Sama, the prospective corps...I mean, matches, are here." The cat mewed to a certain shoji screen they have reached.

"Send them in."

Hisagi's instincts screamed to run away from the power on the other side of the screen. _Small wonder Captain Kyoraku wouldn't come near. Heck if he had a choice, he would escape far, far away, even in the human world._

"Very well, Ryuuhito Sama."

As the screen slid smoothly open, Renji raised his head to look at one of the most powerful figures that, though aristocratic and criminal, was revered by all of Rukongai.

And felt his jaw drop, for the second time this week, at the mirror image of himself standing across the room.


	5. Chapter 5 Her, Grandfather and Brother

LaLunaticScribe presents

Monsters in Seireitei 5

As the echo of "EEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" reverberated faintly through Seireitei, sending the crows flying up to the high noon sky, two Captains currently in the 4th Squad infirmary heard it and started laughing.

"When I first saw Abarai-kun, I thought he was related to the 'Monster' and didn't dare go near him till I saw that he wasn't." Ukitake tried to chuckle, but ended up coughing again, now mothered by his two faithful 3rd Seats, one of whom will probably pay with his life later.

"Think Abarai will realise it's not a mirror he's looking at?" Kyoraku managed to choke out, wiping a tear from his eye.

Even Byakuya had decided to abandon propriety when confronted with a rather old lookalike of his lieutenant. Though he had seen Ryuuhito before, he had not looked too closely and had been stumped by the fact that Ryuuhito had incapacitated twenty Shinigami just to matchmake. Now, he was speechless by the very fact that his lieutenant shared the same mug -though younger- , same hairstyle, though red rather than grey, and probably the same tattoos and birthday –different year though- , with the person that could bring Soul Society to its knees on a whim.

Hisagi, on the other hand, had been torn between laughing, staring, or dying by trying not to do both at once.

"O-okay, this is just plain weird."

Byakuya quickly turned his face towards the voice, finding himself nearly nose-to-nose with the straight nose of the current 28th head of the Kazumi House. Calming down from the initial rush of adrenaline brought by shock, Byakuya stepped back before he did something stupid. Like attack his former Kidou and Kendo teacher from back in the Academy days.

Kazumi Chiaki smiled in a fox-like grin. Not one to wear formal dress unless absolutely necessary, he had on a casual light green kosode and hakama pants. Standing at six feet, his black hair reached to the base of the neck before curving up again. Dark brown eyes twinkled behind wire- rimmed spectacles in an office-worker respectable, yet attractively casual sort of way Byakuya could never achieve.

"Sorry to pull you out of your busy schedule, but we had a sticky situation on our hands."

"Of what degree?" Byakuya managed to say, somehow disgusted at the... casualness of Chiaki's attire.

"Family business. So, one of you go first, the other two stay here. Bya-chan, see that you survive in one piece."

"Please do not call me that. Though I respect you as my former teacher and as my equal socially, persist and I may have to resort to drastic measures."

"You and what army? Don't kid yourself, Kuchiki. I can still kick your haughty ass from here to the 80th district. After all, I ain't the one whose fireball blew up in..."

"That was nearly eighty years ago!" Byakuya was starting too look abashed, as far as Renji could read into his features. "Times change."

"The fact that I still beat you isn't going to change."

Before Byakuya could reach for Senbonzakura, he was grabbed, dragged to a neighbouring shoji screen and thrown into the room behind said screen, to the amazement –and amusement- of the two lieutenants present.

"Wari, but the sooner we get this through, the better for both sides. Better wrap up before Ojisama makes another trip to the SouTaichou."At this, Ryuuhito looked infuriated, "Don't try any business with Chiyuki, and your noble self should be perfectly fine when I unlock you later. Good luck." Chiaki grinned impudently at the still stunned Captain.

As the shoji screen slid shut, Byakuya swore that he could hear crashes, bangs and Renji generally swearing as another bang sounded and a Hisagi-shaped shadow was thrown out of the rom. After some consideration, he finally took his senses off the screen, sat on a cushion and faced his omiai partner.

Who stared equally coolly back at him.

Hands gripping the earthen cup offered to him, Byakuya forced himself to study the woman before him. Though he had never really seen her before – the Kazumi House, to prevent a highly embarrassing massacre, generally weren't very social near nobles- the very air around her was one born of noble lineage, he could tell. Though she may be more civilised than her grandfather and her brother, considering whose house it was, he decided to refrain from saying anything yet.

She was rather petite, taller than Rukia but still below the average woman's height, that he could tell though she was sitting. Wearing a dark blue kimono in simple geometric diamond-pattern embroidering with matching light blue obi –_Finally, someone who believes in first impressions_- that hinted at the generous hidden under the silk. Her long ebony locks were tied in a loose scorpion braid down the back, tied at the ends with dark blue ribbon. No other jewellery or makeup, but she didn't need it, he noted. Her natural beauty struck him like a dagger as he thought of an old story about the Yuki Onna. The real thing that held his attention was her eyes. Neither the coal black of Ryuuhito; nor the dark chocolate of Chiaki, they were blue-grey, near translucent. They held him in a hypnotic stare, seeing through him, beautiful but disturbing.

"I am very sorry for taking up your busy schedule; arranging this on such short notice. I humbly apologise for the trouble you must have taken to come." Her voice, melodious, but nevertheless the tone was businesslike. Byakuya thought that if Yachiru ever hit puberty, she would probably sound like Kazumi Chiyuki here.

"Think nothing of it; it was my Duty as commanded by the SouTaichou." He assured dryly. _Send the high-and-mighty Kuchiki hime-sama,_ Zaraki had said. _Who better equipped to deal with nobles than Kuchiki hime?_ Sadly, all the other Captains had agreed and so, he ended up as the poor sap.

"Sadly, I have no wish of marrying yet."She continued. Nevertheless, if a suitable... prospective lifelong companion is not found today, I do not even need to think what could happen." she added sarcastically.

_She's right, _he realised. With three Captains so recently defected, the Gotei Juusantai was in no position to hold another coup. Not to mention, with reports of a possible threat from the Bount, Seireitei was already stretched thin. And why, oh why, did he suddenly have a fixation on those mesmerising eyes of hers?

"Of course, I have no wish to spark off an internal all-out war, nor can I afford to not get married soon. Clan elders can be very annoying, bitter old Shinigami."

Byakuya felt himself smile wearily for an answer, something he himself found surprising. He did not usually condone open criticism of the elders, but after fifty years of being buggered, matchmade and general bossing, he had to concur. He would have felt a lot better if the cause of his current dilemma wasn't sitting there in the first place.

"So, what do you say, Chiyuki-Dono?" He asked as he lifted the cup to his lips.

"Hmmm... you and I can get engaged, just till this period was over."

He choked.


	6. Chapter 6 Kazumi Chiyuki

LaLunaticScribe presents:

Monsters in Seireitei 6

She stared bemusedly as Byakuya choked on her sudden declaration to get married. She probably knew that the idea was hard for him to stomach, but she still couldn't believe that not only was what they say about this Shinigami true, she could only admire him. Or ogle him. She practically drank in the sight of the perfect physique hinted by the v-neck opening of the hakama, the hard lines that made his face, enhancing the youth and masculinity that only one of noble breeding could have, the samurai's spirit shown in those coal black eyes. _A warrior who has gone through many tribulations,_ she thought. _Nevertheless, the rash streak in his personality still glimmers from time to time._

_If you didn't want this omiai in the first place, WHY did you suddenly consent?_

Chiyuki ignored the voice in her head. It was not a conscience; it was an irate Bakeneko*'s telepathic communication. Namely in his station as a guardian of this manor.

_Ojou Sama this is not wise, getting married now could mean..._

_I cannot afford to allow Oji-Sama to disturb Yamamoto SouTaichou now. Especially with Soul Society like this. Besides, a divorce or annulment isn't changing what I do. Much as Oji-Sama wants to settle me with a Shinigami._

_Even so, you are the only candidate left; not even HE can disagree. Getting married means that Ryuuhito Sama may go berserk at any time. Much as I hate the fact that I ain't a Nekomata, I have no wish to be killed._

_I have to concur this time, Ojou. I have o wish to spend fifty years in the closet. To roam the nights, that is what we do, not get locked in the closet._

Great. The Kosode no Te just had to choose now to chip in.

_WHY are you wearing a Youkai? And especially Kosode no Te*?_ Yoichi nearly screeched out loud.

_Cause... she could strangle him?_ Chiyuki weakly suggested.

_Don't think so. He beat twenty half-breeds. In twenty seconds. A mere Tsukumogami* won't have a chance._

_Oh... what Youkai?_

_Karasu Tengu.*_

_Dammit, he won't be very pleased. Couldn't you send Kyuuso*, Tessai* or even frickin' Tanuki*?? _

_All unavailable except the last one, and he replied that he would rather castrate himself than attack a Kuchiki._

_Why?_

_HIM. Or did Ojou forget the most powerful Youkai STILL in existence?_

_Oh..._

Just then, Byakuya chose that moment to recover enough to talk. Chiyuki simply observed him, trying to refrain (unsuccessfully) from drooling.

"Engaged!? I am sorry, I cannot."

"Engagements can be broken. Don't worry, I don't take offence." _Not with Soul Society on the line._

"Still, the marriage..."

"Does not need to take place, can be annulled. Besides, it's almost fashionable these days."

"That's not really doing our duty, is it?"

"My duty is to myself; this is my choice. If it is about honour, mine is easily compromised already as granddaughter to the family. In an emergency, I can handle myself; in short, I make myself invisible. Now, your reply?"

He was about to refuse, in the coldest tone he could muster, but something about the pretty face in front of him reminded him about Ichimaru Gin. Perhaps it was the facial structure. The fox-face, he added sarcastically to his thoughts.

Anyway, beside the uncanny facial structure, Byakuya felt the room temperature plummet suddenly, and invisible hands wrapped themselves around his throat. Constricted by the sudden pressure on his throat, he swallowed a bit and stared into the blue-gray eyes.

Only that they weren't blue-gray anymore. They were a silver-white and translucent, telling him on an instinctive level about primal powers he couldn't even fathom in this world.

Then, the pressure went as abruptly as it came, the temperature returned to normal, and her eyes returned to their beautiful blue-gray once more. Unable to even comprehend what had happened, he decided to act like it didn't exist, while his slightly panicked brain got the thoughts in order.

"Your reply?"

Seeing that he wasn't in a position to argue anyway, he agreed. Anyway, it could be broken.

As he left the room, and the sight of unconscious lieutenants greeted his eyes, he decided that the best thing to do was to go along with it for the moment. His libido, still slightly scarred from the creeps he received just now, agreed with him.

He and his libido had different ideas. Polar opposites even.

Kazumi Chiyuki saw the shoji screen slide closed. Once she was sure that there was nobody around, she released the hold over her kimono.

Translucent, ethereal hands began to snake out of the sleeves, creepily swaying in the wind caused by movement as Chiyuki got up, like the branches of a weeping willow.

_I deeply apologise, Ojou, I should not have attacked him, but he was so... impudent..._

"He's a Captain in the Gotei Juusantai and he Head of the Kuchiki Clan; he can bloody well be stuck-up if he wants."

_You should be more powerful compared to him. After all..._

"Shut up or face the washing machine."

_Send Karasu Tengu after him?_

"NO."

'_Cause... you've fallen in lust for him. It's written all over your expression._

"I do?" Quickly, she pulled out a compact mirror from her sleeve pocket to check.

"Yep, you looked absolutely hungry. Too bad he's so cold he wouldn't see it anyway." Yoichi piped up from behind a potted plant, and got a steely glare for his trouble.

"Kosode no Te, washing machine, six hours." Chiyuki drawled evilly as she walked through a nearby shoji screen to her room, sliding it shut behind her.

It –the kimono- gulped.

She smiled as she tugged off the fancy ensemble, leaving nothing on. "Kinka, take Aoi here to wash for six hours."

"Hai, Ojou." A Zashiki Warashi* appeared, took the sad kimono off the tatami, and disappeared.

"Now then, the other thing." Yoichi sighed.

_Not again ._If Kuchiki Byakuya found his elders annoying; wait till he met the Kazumi's. Karasu Tengu, Kappa*, BakeTanuki* and Onibaba*, to name a few. All lived ten times longer and thus were ten times more irritating. All, save Arikura-no-baba, the old witch, and Kappa, had opposed the omiai. They didn't hate the human souls, but they particularly hated any Kuchiki. Something with Nurarihyon.

As she dressed in a casual outfit of white kosode, red hakama, and the tabi socks and straw sandals the Shinigami favoured, the Bakeneko continued to rant.

"Hollows are on their way here!"

"Great. They have a better chance of getting in than of a Tanuki not shagging anything that moves." She said as she loosened her braid and retied her waist-length hair in a high ponytail.

With a smile on her face, she stepped over the irate cat, saying "Ittekimasu. I'm going to the 6th Division for a while."

* All these are the names of youkai,or japanese monsters.


	7. Chapter 7 Yamajii and the Fox

LaLunaticScribe presents:

Monsters in Seireitei 7

Around the same time as the conclusion of the meeting, another drama of a different kind was about to unfold.

After beating up the two lieutenants, Kazumi Ryuuhito had ordered his grandson to call the 4th Squad to pick them up, then proceeded to his meeting room, where another equally old man sat waiting.

"Long time no see, Ryuuhito." Yamamoto SouTaichou got up from the cushion and bowed deeply. Ryuuhito gruffly returned the gesture, and then both settled back into their respective positions facing each other, armed with a mug of steaming tea and a selection of snacks between them.

"So, exactly why would the esteemed SouTaichou see fit to visit today?" He didn't need an answer; he already knew. What else other than another situation critical to Soul Society?

"How did it go?"

"It went rather well, considering my granddaughter. Poor guy didn't have a chance to protest."

"Precisely why I asked you to do it."

There was an awkward silence as both sipped from their respective mugs. When Ryuuhito placed his down on the low table, the real drama began.

"This is the second favour I owe to you already. By the deal we had so many years ago, you still can call in one more. So, tell me; what force is it behind that family that you have to marry my precious granddaughter to the heir?"

"After the Aizen incident, Byakuya was landed in hospital for a month. The family is getting desperate, and we seriously cannot afford to lose another alliance with a noble house. Also, ny doing this, I can check your power." At this, Ryuuhito grinned.

"Can't help it. Blame my charisma, my morals..."

"You, of all people, have no morals to speak of."

At this accusation, the room's temperature suddenly raised as Ryuuhito's grin faltered to an offended look. Yamamoto's expression did not change, but beads of sweat were beginning to gather on the naked crown of his head.

"Do not count on it, Shinigami. It does not pay to insult a fox, especially one who has lived longer than even you."

"I apologise. You, though your moral state is insane at best, are loved, or at least grudgingly respected, in Soul Society, despite being the most violent and bloodthirsty person feared even in the 80th District."

"As I said, blame the charisma. Or , blame the fact that I singlehandedly sponsor a quarter of the Academy's students."

"Point taken, despite the fact that you're..."

"Youkai or evolved souls as you put it that way, monsters in a sense."

They began drinking again. The temperature was back to normal.

"So, let me get this straight; in order to get the pain-in-the-ass elders off your back, I have to marry my granddaughter to the Shinigami male equivalent of a Yuki Onna."

"Temporarily, but it is also to rein in your disdainful criminal behaviour."

Ryuuhito's grin now looked eerily similar to the Cheshire cat's. "And I thought mine were annoying; this makes them seem almost human. Bet that Chiyuki'll take the first chance she has to divorce him should Byakuya survive."

"I believe that was what she told him."

"If Byakuya finds out about Chiyuki..."

Yamamoto sighed. "Let's hope he doesn't. I am aware that the Youkai has an irrational hatred for nobles, especially Kuchikis. May I ask why?"

"For us to know; for you to ignore."

"..."

As Ryuuhito showed his guest out, he whispered: "An extraordinary being among extraordinary beings, HIM..." in a tone that made even Yamamoto sweat with fear.

As Chiyuki walked out of her room into the wood-panelled corridor, she was accosted by a sobbing Chiaki. More accurately, collided with and buried in the folds of her brother's arms.

"Nii Sama! What are you doing?!"

"Waa! Kuchiki should die! I'm gonna go kill him! I won't let you go!" and all the other crap super overprotective big brothers say.

"Nii Sama, stop! Leggo of me!" Chiyuki sounded muffled as she tried to struggle out of her brother's tight bear hug.

Seconds later, he finally loosened enough to uppercut him. He flew into the air only to crash head first onto the wooden floor seconds later.

"Oww! What did you do that for?"

"Because, you were crushing my lungs!"

"Err..." Chiaki got up and rubbed the lump on his head that had already risen. Chiyuki simply walked on.

"Where are you going?"

"Sixth Division."

"Say hello and drop kick him for me."

"Will do." And she walked to the 6th Division headquarters, leaving a trail of unconscious warriors in her wake.


	8. Chapter 8 Demon, Marraige and Psychic

LaLunaticScribe presents:

Monsters in Seireitei 8

Two hours after the beating, Renji, helped by Hisagi, staggered out of the 4th Squad infirmary sporting various bruises and injuries, but nothing broken and still alive, miraculously. Captain Unohana had told them, that the only reason they were still alive (somewhat, considering they were already dead) was that killing them would cripple the Gotei Juusantai further, something Ryuuhito did not want.

"Oww...I think my lung got ruptured." Renji complained as they walked.

"You were lucky." Hisagi snapped back as the lump on the back of his head throbbed. "My skull just cracked."

When they finally reached the 6th Division office, Hisagi abandoned Renji at the door and turned towards the 9th Division.

"Abarai, walk yourself in, I still got about ten articles or so to..."

He never got to finish his words, for he was interrupted by Renji's second "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" in the day.

Renji stared.

And stared.

And fainted. Just as Rukia came running over.

Byakuya forgot who had said "Believe in seven impossible things before breakfast.", or in his case, before lunch. He believed that the Kazumi manor was haunted(though that may just be an impression), that cats not of the Shihouin clan talked, that sometimes coincidence can play cruel jokes with people (by giving them faces really like the most violent person in Soul Society), that yes, his Kidou instructor would still humiliate him no matter where (or who) he was, that princesses where capable or being so scary they could coerce him into agreeing to an omiai (though it be just one princess), and that said princess altered his hakama pants in a way he was sure the Gotei never intended. That was six.

Now, he believed that the princess was a real demon, as she managed what nobody, not even him, managed to do: bully Yachiru into submission and get away with it.

He could even accept the thing about his pants. Chiyuki was reasonably- no, scratch that,- beautiful, with pale skin, heart-shaped eyes, the sultry bedroom look her eyes formed when she wasn't focused, even the somewhat lack of respect she held for him. Maybe it was the ghostly, on-edge-of-death feeling the house gave off, but the fact that even looking made even him feel slightly inadequate and lustful, for some extremely crazy, irrational reason. He hadn't felt like that since Hisana.

Now, he was looking at the object of unidentifiable lust being served by Yachiru, and generally ordering the bubblegum-haired terror around.

Then, Renji walked in, stared, and fainted. Just as Rukia ran in, stepping on Renji, asking "Nii Sama, is it true you're getting married?"

Then Rukia caught sight of the now- docile Yachiru, which caught Chiyuki's attention on Rukia, and then promptly glomped Rukia right there, screaming like a crazed fangirl confronted with her obsession, screaming "Kawaii! Kore wa watashi no imoto nano*?!" until Byakuya regained his senses and dragged Chiyuki off Rukia.

Rukia was too shocked to react at her soon-to-be big sister (if Byakuya couldn't escape by then) glomping her. In public. Instead of the princess, here was a playful, if not terrifying woman who treated Rukia like a treasured sister, not as some disgusting thing under her sandals. This appealed to Rukia, who thought that hey, maybe it wasn't so bad after all.

This surprised Byakuya only slightly, having been acquainted to the more eccentric side of the family already.

That was, till Chiyuki dumped Yachiru onto Rukia and asked her to please send her to Kenpachi, because 'Oneesama' needed to talk to him. Then surprise turned to fear. Then discomfort.

"So, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" he asked, keeping his voice carefully neutral.

"On my way here, my things were already being moved to your manor. Are your people so efficient all the time?"

_The elders were THAT desperate? I had no idea._

"Weirder still, the wedding is held the day after tomorrow."

_Now that was just unnerving. The only way they could do it so fast was if...they already prepared beforehand._

"The ceremony is apparently just the two of us, with the required witnesses and in formal dress."

_Which means: Very clinical. I suppose due to the emergency of this omiai and the unlikelihood of it succeeding._

"No reception, which is rather good. I suggested that we just sign the certificate, but they just looked at me like I was insane..."

"Waa?" Now the demon was plain scary. "Erm, I mean... how practical." He had to acknowledge that. She had a real sense of economy and could control her spending, unlike most nobility. Course, there was another exception, but as said exception spent half her time as a cat, she didn't count.

He got back to his paperwork as an awkward silence fell over the room. Chiyuki stood there, still studying Byakuya like an x-ray. Then, with a slight rustle of cotton from a shihakusho, she grinned and left, leaving him to wonder what was so funny.

Finally the wedding came. On the morning, when the ceremony was held, it rained. While the sun shined.

Kuchiki Byakuya did not care about the strange weather phenomenon one bit at all. He was standing beside his 'bride', in front of the minister droning on and on about something indecipherable....

Until a "Can we skip to the last bit?" punctured the cacophony in the hall.

As he searched for the sound, he realised that it came from the bride. Not a good sign.

She lifted her veil and stared at him again, this time with worry in her eyes.

"Erm... so, I declare you husband and wife." The minister quickly finished. He didn't want to meet the grandfather of the bride. Way too taxing for a frail old soul that he was.

When the people, now extremely stunned, cleared the hall, Chiyuki turned to him and said just three words:

"Rukia's in danger."

* so cute, is this my sister?


	9. Chapter 9 Monster mayhem, ash like snow

LaLunaticScribe presents:

Monsters in Seireitei 9

(Start from episode 93, somewhere round the ending.)

It turned out she was right. Barely three hours after throwing on the shihakusho and haori, then shunpo out of Seireitei, had Byakuya finally noticed the fluctuations in reiatsu strongly. Course, it could be that his 'wife' just judo-thrown him into the room, landing on his head.

Then, after bullying his way through 78 guard posts, and not to mention gave the Bount a death-by-shredding, he rescued Rukia. [Not going to details, you see the episode yourself.]

Once he had settled the now injured Rukia [and once Chiyuki decided that Ichigo could bring the extremely long Zangetsu anywhere near the manor] not to mention assure the two other ryoka that all was fine, then proceeded to track down the location of the Bount leader, Kariya Jin.

Unfortunately for Ichigo, he was now caught in an interrogation, then allowed to leave for Shiba Kuukaku's crazy house. He was so preoccupied, he did not notice that book Chiyuki was holding as she left the room. Which certainly wasn't there before?

The book had a picture of Ichigo, as a child, crying at the side of a ditch as he stood over his mother's corpse, on the cover. It didn't have a title. Chiyuki kept reading into the book, pouring out Kurosaki Ichigo's memory into her mind, absorbing the deep secrets the fifteen year old held in his brain. Considering that the book was in manga form, there wasn't much to learn.

She sat in the study, waiting. The Kuchiki manor was a large place, well beyond any fox's ability to confuse Byakuya into the room. She sat there, concentrating more power into reading, learning, influencing. Then, she tore a couple of pages out. By tomorrow, Ichigo couldn't pick her out of a line-up.

Due to his mind drifting off, Kuchiki Byakuya later found himself in his study. Or his wife's temporarily commandeered study. Taking this chance to ask, he walked in. Straight into a snowstorm; the place was damn cold. His breath was already coming out in mist, and his skin had gooseflesh all over the exposed parts.

"May I ask you a question, Chiyuki Dono?" He bit out quickly, not wanting her to sense his discomfort, partly due to pride.

She never spoke, but the room temperature returned to normal. He took that as a good sign.

"No, you may not. Also, pertaining to the question of how I knew, or guessed, it is none of your concerns." Until now.

"As I have said before, this is an _arranged _marriage. It would be best if you no longer interact with me. Lingering sentiments can really screw up the best-laid plans."

He was about to answer back that it was every business of his, before he realized she was right. Cold, calculating, every bit the youth he used to be. Before Hisana.

Turning away, he devoted his mind full into navigating out of the manor, and tracking down Kariya.

The cover of night fell over Soul Society. In the Kazumi manor, celebrations of the really supernatural kind were taking place. With Seireitei's local Youkai in it.

Deep in internal strife, Chiyuki was inhibiting on sake. With unsuccessful results.

_Why am I felling so nervous? Over that stuck-up Yuki Onna… I can't even think straight. I can only dream about my hands all over his abs, but then I keep shoving him away… _She giggled. Good one, Yuki Onna. She gotta remember that next time. It might shock him into perspective.

Deep in thought and sake, she failed to realize that, with Oji Sama and Nii Sama out of town, and with her drunken, pandemonium began to erupt in Seireitei.

At a roadside bar in Seireitei, Kyoraku just bought a bottle of sake. After a good distance or so, he had started to take a swig, before spitting it out in disbelief. It wasn't sake he just tasted; it was green tea. Rancid _matcha_.

In disgust and anger, he was about to go back and demand a full refund, but there was nowhere to go back to. The bar was gone, disappeared, with no evidence to show it ever being there.

In disbelief, Kyoraku's jaw bounced open for the second time, and his eyes grew wider than dinner plates. The wind blew around, laughing, singing a rather incongruous song:

_Tan tan Tanuki_

_No kintama wa_

_Kaze mo nai no ni_

_Bura bura…._

The next morning, Kyoraku rushed to the SouTaichou's quarters to report immediately after breakfast. When he'd arrived there, he realized he wasn't the only one. Lieutenant Oomaeda had a red devil licking his bathtub out. Kenpachi was attacked by a knife-wielding old woman, who, coincidentally, laid waste to most of the idiots unlucky enough to get in their way. A woman with a neck that could beat an anaconda in length tried to sexually attack an unnamed Shinigami.

Then the doors banged open, amid the hubbub, and three messengers had come, one about the Bount invasion's current status, the other two about rebellion in North and South Rukongai. The former 3rd Captain and the Lady had gone to deal with it, as Kazumi Senior was tied up in Heuco Mundo at the moment.

Byakuya was just about to mention the weird temperature shifts when an explosion sounded in the distance. Then, he very wisely decided to mention it another time.

In North Rukongai, about 500 people were getting their heads chopped off. And yet they could not see Kazumi Chiaki as he danced through the throngs, chopping a head off with each swing.

As he came upon a particularly unsavory group of mercenaries, he held his sword with both hands, so that the back was touching his nose, and released it.

"Amaze, Kurohime." The shadows around flickered; the unlucky mercenaries got chopped before they could react. Laughing, Chiaki over the din: "Kurohime's power is that when I release it, no one can notice my existence. So, no existence, no being attacked or caught. Perfect for assassination. Course, its Bankai is a different matter…" No one paid any attention. They were trying not to get chopped under the onslaught of Kidou he fired from his sword continuously. As expected of the leading Kidou professor of the Shinigami Academy.

Opposite the slaughter in North Rukongai, South Rukongai was much, much cleaner.

Man, after man scrambled to flee from the lone woman currently firing blasts of fire and electricity from out of nowhere. Chiyuki's eyes were silver now, shining eerily in the Rukongai chaos, as fire after fire quashed the rebellion.

By the time the residual reiatsu wore off, fifty people were reduced to ashes and she was nowhere near. The white ashes flew in the wind, cloaking the earth like a light blanket of snow…


	10. Chapter 10 Impossible becomes Possible

LaLunaticScribe presents:

Monsters in Seireitei 10

(End of Bount rebellion, 1 hour later)

Yamajii was in a _bad_ mood.

There was no other word for it. Considering what he had been through ( recently, a disembodied hand sighted not far from 9th Squad headquarters) , the rebellion reparations, not to mention the very expensive soul stone that made up the Tower of Penance having to be replaced, he had every right to be.

His office door flew open, this time without the guards flying in and landing somewhere, and a blurred figure flashed through the door, reappearing in front of the SouTaichou as Kazumi Ryuuhito.

"What now? You called in your third favour when you called me to put down the rebellion, which I did, and you still order me here? What happened to the two millenniums of friendship?"

Yamamoto Shigekuni Genryuusai turned to face his old partner, supporter, and best friend. Which was a bit sad, considering that best friend wasn't _quite_ human.

"I've just received a report, _Ryuu._" Ryuuhito winced at the use of his name, the name only Yamamoto still addressed him by; any other person was too scared to use it; this was really bad.

"A disembodied hand on a tree." _Shit_. "A _moving_ samurai made of discarded dinnerware." _Oh dear._ "Kyoraku nearly drank rancid matcha (a kind of green tea that tastes like soap when fresh)..." _Not too bad. _"...Bought from a roadside bar that disappeared into thin air in five seconds flat." _This just got worse. Oh well, it could have been... _"An old woman attacked the Kenpachi." _Dammit._

"Just that few? I thought there would be more... You called for this sort of thing?" He was pissed. _Damn, I missed the carnage in Rukongai for this sort of rubbish..._

"Ryuu, your hair." Damn. Ryuuhito quickly tried to calm down, willing his hair to change from their new reddish-brown shade to their normal grey. This happened every single time he got pissed. Or sad, or lustful, or outraged. After all, destroying Seireitei would only deprive the Youkai from their manor.

Ever the stoic gentleman, Yamamoto bit back a grin as he saw his old friend take deep breaths. Ryuu always had this problem; as SouTaichou, Yamamoto quickly learnt what to say to boost morale. This not only kept their bond intact, but also pretty much guaranteed the enemy's utter defeat, one swing at a time.

_Back to business,_ he thought as the last of the red-brown locks changed smoothly back to grey. _Amazing that no one noticed the colour change yet._

"We are checking the Library Records as we speak. By the next fortnight, we should have found out Aizen's objective. You said something about..."

"The Covenant of Kings, signed approximately five hundred years ago between the two respective Kings. As part of the agreement, we don't kill you, you don't kill us, and control passes to your king till we move the hell out of Soul Society. Don't you think Aizen would want it?"

"Why would he want it? I was there when the terms were fixed. By the Covenant, control lasts only till five hundred years later, then returns to the General."_This is the first time I've seen Ryuu like this, so panicked. _

"This is about... five months, till the last day of the first month of the new year. Only the reigning king can wield its power to command all Youkai to do his bidding, which by the way, is a lot. The impossible could become possible."

"Can the dead come back to life?" Yamamoto's thoughts had by now drifted to the comrades he had buried, the sons he had seen killed, and the love of his afterlife dying from a serious chest wound, fading into spirit particles as he held her close to his chest. Can this impossibility be solved? He would do about anything to have her back. What powers did the Youkai hold that they did not reveal to him, though the covenant... could his Hanako ever return?

Ryuuhito drew himself up to his full height, eyes now brimming with confidence. "Yes, the dead can come back. We've done it."

Before the taken aback Yamamoto could ask how, a cry of alarm rang clearly throughout Seireitei.


	11. Chapter 11 The Living Dead & Danna Sama

LaLunaticScribe Presents:

Monsters in Seireitei 11

"Arrrrrrgggghhhh!!!!!!!"

In South Rukongai, another battle of a slightly different nature had sprung up. Earlier, Chiyuki had just finished squashing the rebellion and was about to walk off when suddenly, the fabric of reality tore apart and a thousand or so Hollows, coupled with twenty Gillian-class Menos and led by the only Adjuhas-class present, walked through and began attacking her.

With the cry of alarm out of the way, she began conjuring flames to incinerate wave after wave of Hollows coming right now.

Just as a Gillian fired a Cero in her general direction, there was a blur of a figure dressed in red, then the Cero was mysteriously split, causing the concentrated reiatsu to dissipate.

"About time, Yoichi. I was about to go white."

Yoichi grinned. He was dressed in an outfit, similar to that of the Secret Mobile Corps, just dyed blood red, like the stained _tanto_ he held reversely, like a ninja. The sweat on his face glinted in the Rukongai sun, lighting up his dark mocha complexion, yellow eyes and purple hair, similar to Yoruichi, except with a white streak running through it. In fact, nearly everything about him was similar to Yoruichi, which, considering his family was pretty much accurately similar, or is the Shihouin house, was rather weird.

"Yeah, we're all better off if you don't turn your hair white, because it probably means that even we are screwed. I apologise for not coming earlier." he replied while slashing a nearby Hollow. Flames flickered to life in midair and launched themselves at the other nearby Hollows, burning them to a crisp. "Anyway, care to explain what's going on?"

"No idea, but I appreciate the help." Chiyuki now hit the particularly annoying Adjuhas with a Byakurai, causing it to move back. "Change now. Byakuya's on his way here."

"Now how did you know that? Never mind, I don't want to know." He hurriedly added at Chiyuki's evil smile.

True to word, Byakuya was on his way there. As he shunpo'ed out, his mind's eye was no longer on battle, but on what Yamamoto SouTaichou told him just before the 'wedding':

_Yamamoto stood before Byakuya authoritatively. Byakuya listened as the SouTaichou informed him of his mission._

"_I am sorry for forcing you to do this, Byakuya."_

"_This is nothing, SouTaichou. I will do this for Soul Society." He replied stiffly. Of course, he was still rather angry, not to mention guilty at the prospect of betraying Hisana this way, but, as she had pointed out, it was a formality, and it was damn convenient at the moment. _

_The SouTaichou studied him for a moment. Then, to Byakuya's great surprise, the SouTaichou smiled wearily, looking more like an ordinary old man than before. "I wonder how you'll do with her....She can make you forget Hisana, you know..."_

_He stared, eyes blinking as Yamamoto walked out of the office..._

All thoughts were driven out of his head as the presence of Hollows loomed close enough to set his senses off. With a quick release of Senbonzakura, all Hollows in the immediate area were destroyed.

Chiyuki could only stare as the sakura petals danced in the air, framing the handsome Byakuya as it shredded all the remaining Hollows. _This is the Yuki Onna??_

"Ojou, your hair's turning white." _Damn._ Unlike the reddish-brown shade her grandfather had, Chiyuki's hair took after her grandmother's, who was the nobility of Kitsune, the White Fox. This gave Chiyuki power over ice and snows too, hence the name. The catch, however, was that the power was unstable and not recommended to be used. Chiyuki's first icing had caused a snowstorm in Soul Society for a thousand hours. That happened during her birth, hence the name, 'Thousand Snow'.

Willing herself to be calm, Chiyuki waved her right arm. A book appeared in her hand; as if she had snatched it out of thin air. Flipping to a certain page in _Da Big Book of Soul Society_ and tearing said page out ensured that all traces disappeared. Even a forensic team couldn't find any traces of Yoichi, which was imperative. After all, how was she supposed to explain the reappearance of someone supposedly dead?

Little did she know that the Secret Mobile Corps already got them on film...

Byakuya thinks: Time for a vacation.

While battling, he was apparently free enough to discern that his wife's –Hisana, I'm sorry-hair was smoothly changing from black to white, and that her eyes were now a shining silver.

_Am I dreaming? It seems so real._

As the chaos, dies down, he looked again, but her hair was the same ebony shade it was always. Hallucination, he concluded. However, in battle? There was more to it. Perhaps stress?

"Good work. About a hundred in... One minute." She smirked as Byakuya rounded on her, with a pained look on his face.

"Now, I want answers." Byakuya's fingers tightened around her shoulder; she was surprised at the strength those apparently slender fingers contained. "And you're coming with me to provide them."

An hour and a half later, Chiyuki sighed; this was almost too easy. "You drag me from the 62nd district; force me to come with you, and then now you're interrogating me? I'm sweaty, hot, and I don't even get a towel. Are you so indifferent that you can't even fulfil the basic courtesy?"

Byakuya wasn't focused on the basic courtesy; he was too busy trying to avoid staring at how the wet white shihakusho she had on clung to her chest, accentuating her curves, or at how the hakama she had on wasn't going to help if he lost control.

An unknown piece of information: Kitsune females are very foxy, literally and figuratively. They can steal a man's breath away without ever casting anything whatsoever if they appear in human form. Dressing dowdily wouldn't do jack at all, and dressing sexily would leave all men with seeing distance coming in their pants. So, now Byakuya was in a sticky situation: find a cover, before he did something stupid.

No, the scarf wouldn't do, so he just had to use the haori as a cover and draped it across her shoulders.

Chiyuki, surprised, pulled it closer together, effectively obscuring the sight. "Erm... thank you."

"Why do you not address me by name?" Indeed, throughout the entire time they had known each other, Byakuya had never heard her address him even once.

At this, Chiyuki looked away, desperately needing eye contact. Suspicious, Byakuya reached and grabbed her face to make her face him. "Why?"

Chiyuki was startled. _Who knew he could do this? I thought he was cold..._

Then, Renji chose this very moment to walk into the office, when Byakuya's face was in extremely close proximity to Chiyuki's, almost face to face. It was a hell of an awkward moment there.

"Taichou? Erm... sorry to interrupt your private moment... I'll just go out now...with this... paperwork! Yeah, paperwork!"

"Huh?" Just then, he realised exactly where his lips were, and quickly let go.

Chiyuki, still startled, turned to survey Renji. Renji began squirming under her gaze. "Say, _Renji_. Do not remember anything, walk out of here, then throw yourself in the koi pond. Got it?" She ordered, her gaze never faltering, the tone almost angry.

Renji's eyes widened, and remained that way as he silently walked out. "What the..." Byakuya was taken aback. Renji looked like he had fallen under a spell. A few minutes later, he heard a splash of water, followed with a "What the hell?" coming from the direction of the koi pond.

Byakuya stared at Chiyuki, who averted her eyes from him. "Now you see why. To me, names have power, so I hold power over someone once I speak their name. I'm sorry if I made you feel awkward..." at this point her voice trailed off.

Byakuya was struck by the change in personality, from the proud princess to the scared maiden. She reminded him of Hisana, so cute, so...innocent.

"Then, there is another title you can use beside my name." _God, I don't really believe in you, but if you do exist, please let me forget this. _

She lifted her head, eyes shining with disbelief. "Even the slight change will not save you."

"I mean, since we're married... you can use it temporarily. Go on; address me as your husband."

She just stared in disbelief. "You mean... Danna Sama??"

"Yes, that's what I mean."

*a tanto is a double-edged knife about 15 cm long.


	12. Chapter 12 Supposed Tears of the Dead

LaLunaticScribe presents:

Monsters in Seireitei 12

She now looked like the world had come to an end, he decided. After all, it wasn't every time he gave a command for a compliment.

"Danna... Sama...." Now the expression was one of wonder.

Figuring that the atmosphere was rather awkward, he looked away. "It's only temporary, so don't get used to it." _As in, when I figure out how to get you to the SouTaichou without hypnotising him._

"_Arara_, Byakuya's grown up. How sweet. "

This was not Chiyuki, but the uninvited guest currently in Byakuya's office, namely Shihouin Yoruichi. Byakuya recovered from the initial shock enough to glare at her.

"Congratulations on getting married, Byakuya. Too bad I wasn't there to see it. It would've been a blast." She continued, landing on the floor to settle in a cross-legged position. "This girl's the bride?"

"Yes, Shihouin Sama." Chiyuki smoothly replied. "I am Kazumi Chiyuki. Pleased to meet you."

"Call me Yoruichi, because I have a feeling you need help soon." Yoruichi said, grinning widely at Byakuya. The glare she received would have been enough to burn paper.

"Anyway, Yoruichi, what are you doing here?" He asked, though he knew it was probably to get a look at his wife.

"Yeah, about that..." she trailed off, her eyes fixed at the cat in the office doorway, a spark of deeply disturbing recognition in them.

"Ojou, I'm back..." Yoichi started to speak, but spotted Yoruichi. Almost immediately, Yoichi turned and ran, Yoruichi trailing right behind it. Byakuya made to move, but was blocked by Chiyuki standing in his way.

"Danna Sama, we should not interfere. Let those two settle it."

Turning to leave, she added while looking back at him: "Can you come home today? The elders are starting to ask why the master of the house isn't in it." Smiling at her joke, she turned to leave, leaving an astonished Byakuya to think and do a large amount of paperwork.

__________________________________________

_Danna Sama....Danna Sama.... That's the first time I actually feel....affection..._

Chiyuki was still smiling when she stepped into the weak sunlight outside. Getting a general measure of reiatsu of the area, she set off towards Yoichi's direction. It would not do to present a supposedly dead person to his sister....yet, or even in any foreseeable future.

_______________________________________________

Somewhere in the forests of Seireitei, Shihouin Yoruichi had managed to corner a cat. Now, said cat was facing her off as she tried to pin it down.

"Long time no see, Yoruichi." Yoichi said smoothly, while his fur spontaneously turned to skin, paws turned to arms and legs, and the cat ears shrank to normal human ears. "It's been... a hundred and fifty years, at last count. How are you?" he asked, standing straight up from his place on the thick tree branch.

Yoruichi was staring with shock at her supposedly dead brother, now confirmed alive, the one who had been killed, right in front of her eyes, but whose body they couldn't recover for burial. Her thoughts traced to the last time she had seen him...

"_Anii-ue!" Yoruichi yelled. Immediately after, the blade of a knife was pressed against her throat for a split second before she realised it and parried. Shihouin Yoichi stepped back, sheathing his knife as he did. _

"_Never let your guard down, Yoruichi. Now, why did you call me?" The youngest ever Commander of the Secret Mobile Corps looked down on his twin sister, then second in command flashing the trademark Shihouin grin. He had been wearing his trademark red ninja suit, despite black being the more common colour, having eschewed the special-forces black ninja suit "because I'm worth it"._

"_There's a lot of Hollows near District 80." She answered in proper respect, then had drop-kicked his head. "I could have died just now! How do you achieve what even I can't achieve?" _

_He had already moved to the door, answering "You're the Goddess of Flash, you don't need it..."_

"Anii-ue...." she acknowledged him stoically, despite the tears gathering in her eyes. The sorrow felt as she saw him being cut down on that battle so many years ago did nothing to help. "It's ....you, right? It's... really.... you?"

The fire in his eyes dimmed, and he looked away, no longer smiling. If nothing, he was almost indifferent. He turned so that his back faced her, not meeting her eyes. "It's me, alright. Erm.... Nice seeing you again. Sorry I couldn't meet you till now..."

"What do you mean? It's been one and a half century already. What are you saying?" Yoruichi couldn't believe it. No one could choose not meet his own family, right? Sooner or later they still would have met, so what had made him stay away for fifty years?

The answer soon came. As Yoichi moved uneasily back to face her, a beam of light drew attention to the mark on his chest. "What's that?" Yoruichi asked, pointing. His eyes followed the line of her finger before he shrugged.

"It's the mark of a... kind of contract I signed. The one that kept me alive." He added before Yoruichi could ask further. Yoruichi did not talk, but motioned for him to continue his tale. "Yes, you saw me being cut down, but that's not it. After the battle, I was somehow still alive. As I drew my last breaths, an old man and a girl came. The girl took one look at me and asked the old man to bring me back, but one look told the old geezer that it was futile; I was going to die anyway. After being told that, the strangest thing happened. The girl walked up to me and asked for my eternal servitude in exchange for my life, and more."

Yoruichi snorted; he didn't blame her. Hell, he almost couldn't believe it himself. Regardless, he continued:

"At that time, my only desire was to live on, so I agreed. Then I fainted and when I woke up, I was completely healed, and alive. However, the catch was that no one could know of my existence, so I couldn't meet you until this accident..." he paused and looked away.

"Who was the girl? Wait, just now you called Chiyuki..." Yoruichi broke off as she turned around to face the new presence she just sensed. Who turned out to be the very girl Yoichi mentioned: Kazumi Chiyuki.

_______________________________________________

"Yoichi, you are going without catnip for the next two weeks." Chiyuki curtly stated. Yoichi just grinned.

"So you are the one who brought my brother back?" Yoruichi asked, all the while wondering about the power this girl possessed. From her experience, looks could be deceiving, so Yoruichi was not really taken in by the innocent facade Chiyuki presented. Considering that she was a Kazumi, Yoruichi was willing to bet that the girl had some serious moves.

"Yes. I am sorry that we have to break up this touching reunion, but I cannot allow knowledge of Yoichi to leak out. I am sorry, but time is short. Yoichi..."

The last thing Yoruichi saw was the silver eyes glowing before all went black.

__________________________________________________________

"And that's the last bit." Chiyuki muttered as she snapped the book shut and made it disappear. Beside her, a Yoichi-cat now stood, looking at Yoruichi begin to awaken. He did not hear his mistress talk, but he knew that this was for the best.

As he watched his twin walk off, a weight on his heart was lifted as he knew that no longer could she remember him. Perhaps in the future, but at least not now. "Now, about Byakuya Sama, Ojou, you may have to..."

He caught the shadow in her eyes before she turned away, saying: "I know, I know..." He did not see the blue eyes sparkle, as if from the tears...


	13. Chapter 13 The Absolute Promise

LaLunaticScribe presents:

Monsters in Seireitei 13

At the same time, Yamamoto fought not to keel over right there and then.

"Ryuu, what do you mean?" he asked, fighting the ache in his heart. _I could have her back..._

"Idiot, it's not that simple. If I can do that, Death wouldn't exist, don't you think?" Ryuuhito answered. Yamamoto could see the truth of that statement in his eyes, but there was something that still unsettled him.

"Then when you said...."

"I said that _I _couldn't do that. I didn't say no one else could." Ryuuhito answered, his maniacal grin back on his face. "Though too bad, you used the last favour to defeat the rebellions. Anyway, your favour isn't strong enough to bring the dead back, and it's not the person you seek that owes you anything."

"Then why didn't you tell me?!" Yamamoto all but yelled at him. _So many years gone..._

"One, it wasn't mentioned in my contract that I tell you what you can and cannot ask for, and I couldn't give any ideas anyway. Two, bringing the dead back is seriously against the laws of nature itself. Three, there's no guarantee anyway. Four, there's a price. Is that all? Oh yeah, five, she'll never want it." Ryuuhito listed, counting it off his fingers. Then, upon seeing Yamamoto's hand stray towards his staff, he quickly added: "Erm.... you never got over her, right? It should be good enough that you remember her. She never would have grown old, lazy and forgetful. Bringing her back wouldn't change that, just endanger you."

"Why?"

He decided that that was the most serious thing he had ever heard coming out of the demon's mouth when Ryuuhito answered: "A life for a life."

Then, the sudden appearance of Chiyuki didn't help either, as Chiyuki appeared inside a moment later. Following her behind was a cat with a white streak running through the length of its body. _Hey, that cat looks familiar...._

Then Yoichi transformed. Yamamoto just wearily regarded the newly human er...cat. Today was going to be a day of surprises.

_______________________________________________________

"Shihouin Yoichi. I knew it." Yamamoto rumbled. Yoichi just flashed another grin back. _They're all mad,_ Yamamoto decided. "Good to see that you're still alive, but why did you not report back?"

"I... couldn't." Yoichi motioned to his chest. Yamamoto examined it. From what any passerby could tell, it was a sort of flame, just purple colour, tattooed there. For any without a lick of reiatsu, that is. For any with enough to even feel hunger and thirst, they would have been able to sense some serious reiatsu from it. And that was what the SouTaichou sensed.

"What is this? I have never even heard of it before. Ryuu?" Yamamoto asked, rounding onto his best friend, who looked away before answering: "It's a Contract mark, Shigekuni. Yoichi...died. Before that, he struck a deal. So now he's.... my chief of security. And Chiyuki's servant."

_______________________________________________

_Welcome to the weird, wonderful world of Youkai, _Yamamoto thought uncharitably. "You can bring him back, but not Hanako?" he flared up again.

Ryuuhito put up a hand before continuing: "She's...different. It was time for her to pass on, but not for Yoichi. Anyway, surely you didn't want her to be turned into one of...us, right?"

"But...." Yamamoto grew silent as he saw flames leap out from midair. "I see.... Very well. And you brought this up why?" he asked, gesturing to the now transforming cat-Yoichi.

"Aizen may be after the Covenant. After all, one absolute request is given to the reigning King. And no, I do not joke about it." Ryuuhito quickly answered. "So, Aizen could literally become King of the Universe, yes."

"That is one thing I do not want to even think about. So, what do _they_ propose to do?" Yamamoto asked.

"_We _prefer to stand by our allies of five centuries. After winter, no guarantees, as that is the expiry date. You have until the start of next year to use our services. This is as a last favour for keeping us secret. Afterwards, you will no longer remember us, and we will never appear before you or any other soul again."

"No longer remember?" Yamamoto dryly repeated. The temperature duly dropped until even the SouTaichou felt his blood freezing. He barely had time to react before Ryuuhito turned away and shunpo'ed off, allowing Chiyuki to appear in front of him, digging her amazingly sharp nails into his throat before Yamamoto could react. Her eyes were silver, the hair duly changing from black to white. This did not affect Yamamoto, though. What truly struck him was the merciless killing intent in the eyes, the truly frightening memories hidden in the silver light...

"SouTaichou Yamamoto Shigekuni Genryuusai, this is the terms of the deal. We are born of darkness; meant to be hidden. This will probably be the last time I will see you again. Farewell, for you will not remember this." Chiyuki spoke, a harsh sound that shook his very soul. As she withdrew her fingers, turned and disappeared, he stood there, trying to figure out what had just happened, and who the hell turned the air conditioning on?

_____________________________________________________

"You know, if you wanted to keep me from pestering Yama, you could just ask." Ryuuhito joked all through the way back to the Kuchiki manor.

"And do you suppose that you would have stayed away?" Chiyuki retorted as they made their way back.

He chuckled. "Guess not." Then his expression grew serious. "Chiyuki, this is great for you. You're married to someone who at least has the moral responsibility to house you..."

"Thanks to who?"

He ignored the sarcasm dripping from it. "... you have the skills to survive as well as the influence and tact. Please, follow Oji-Sama's wishes, get settled down, have a family..."

"With a man I don't love?"

"That's ridiculous. You had that wistful expression every time I mention Byakuya. Anyway, this is also a politically sound marriage...."

"Even if I'm not _human_?" she questioned further. Ryuuhito still ignored it anyway.

"...So it's good for both families and no one complains. Besides, anything is better than...becoming an Intellectus candidate. Just until winter is over, okay?"

Chiyuki looked into her grandfather's charcoal black eyes, and her own piercing blues softened. "Okay, Oji-Sama." She whispered. The corners of Ryuuhito's mouth lifted. "Good girl." was barely heard by Chiyuki as he changed direction, leaving her with only a cat for company to run towards the Kuchiki manor.


	14. Chapter 14 Kappa Jii vs Kuchiki Byakuya

LaLunaticScribe presents:

Monsters in Seireitei 14

_Intellectus....the omnipotent knowledge. Coveted among the Youkai for it and of itself. The intellect given to the possessor, enables them to no longer fear, or need to hide in the shadows, but walk freely in the light, unfettered by petty trivialities like hunger, disease, or old age, frozen in immortality, unable to be killed, the power of gods. Such power is passed only once every five centuries, where a competition throughout time is held to decide the holder, and crowns them as the next Royalty in the line of the Rulers of Shadows, those who pass eternity freely, wandering the different worlds. That was, until the last king, Nurarihyon, sealed himself in the Covenant of Kings, until the end of his reign, where a race against time will begin again....known as Intellectus._

__________________________________________________________________________________

Chiyuki was still a bit bad-tempered as she walked up the steps to the Kuchiki manor. In fact, her anger was so bad, the stone steps under her feet where still smoking from where she'd stepped barely seconds ago.

_Good thing I left a trigger in his memory just in case. _Chiyuki thought. The trigger in question was a keyword, namely her name, left in the uber-thick vellum scroll that made up Yamamoto SouTaichou's memory. The problem was not deciphering the faded words (which was written, amazingly, all the way back to Egyptian hieroglyphics) to plant the trigger, but the paragraph in the highly small print paragraph to plant it, not to mention somewhere in the super thick scroll enough to go once around the world.

_Still... I should deal with Byakuya's memory too. And why did my stomach do that flippy thing again?_ She wondered. _Argh, the Hollows already caught scent of me. They're no doubt looking for the memories that would send them to Soul Society without fighting a Shinigami. Well, too bad, I'm not allowed to interfere in those affairs._

As she went through the gate, the guard dog chained there bowed its head down as she passed, almost like it recognised royalty when it saw it.

_And I thought dogs were supposed to scare me_. Good, it remembered who was the bad-ass scary mistress, or temporary mistress, and decided not to attack the good, not to mention powerful fox walking up the stairs now.

As she made her way past the koi pond, a ripple on the surface caught her eye. Below the ripple, she could see a dark mouldy shape that most people would assume it was a shadow and immediately dismiss it as one. Most people, that is, not any Kazumi. Or any Youkai acquainted with water Youkai.

"Kappa Jii, why are you here?" Chiyuki asked the water surface. On cue, a troll-like shape, with a beak-like mouth, tortoise-like shell on its back, so that its shadow was like that of a stooping old man, and a water-filled depression on its head, broke through the water surface. Standing knees deep in the pond, he came only to her shoulder. Facing her, he bowed in a way so that no water dripped out of the depression.

The Kappa began blushing furiously, doing its best to avoid eye contact. "Ojou, er... I was... scoping out new places to live and..."

"Dispose of _waste_? Kappa Jii, don't we have a whole river for your '_waste_'? Why do you need to look for dump sites?" Chiyuki questioned, inwardly wincing at the thought of the unspeakable things a Kappa's three anuses were capable of. The last sap on cleaning duty nearly got swallowed alive, which was why cleaning the 'dump sites' was listed on the training programme for all.

The Kappa sheepishly laughed, a kind, grandfatherly one that made Chiyuki warm towards him instantly. Kappa was always there as a father figure; after all, he was the one who was there when she was training her ice powers, who always nursed her when sick, the one who taught her _Koppajutsu_, the martial art that specialised in breaking bones...

"Well, you know what the dump sites are like... so...used. I personally prefer to scout new ones out, so that one area isn't polluted beyond redemption."

Chiyuki was about to reply when her sharp ears picked the sounds of feet hitting wood. "Kappa Jii, hide!" She hissed. The Kappa quickly obeyed, leaving Chiyuki standing on the pond side, looking for the entire world like an innocent person admiring the koi.

Byakuya came walking, the classic Yuki Onna mask in place. _Hard to see how anyone could pull off that sexual charm and remain aloof, _Chiyuki thought. And apart from a slight rising of the eyebrows, there was no other remotely readable expression whatsoever to show that he just overheard his-to his mind-somewhat lunatic wife talking to the _koi pond_.

"Danna Sama." Chiyuki addressed her husband somewhat stiffly. He gave no indication that he had heard, other than a curt "The Elders wish to see you." Bowing, Chiyuki took her leave, leaving Byakuya to contemplate the koi pond.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Byakuya looked down at the koi pond. True enough, there was only the occasional koi, the algae growing on the pond bottom and... is that a tortoise shell?

He blinked once, then fully closed his eyes and opened them again, to affirm that the tortoise shell was well and truly there. It was. Then he seriously flipped out. By that, I mean that he drew his sword and prepared to poke the shell at the sides. Not a very good idea, in fact either suicidal or particularly brain-dead, to poke a Kappa in the ribs, especially with a sharp sword. An especially, especially bad idea to use a Zanpakutou. The result was that Kappa leapt out at him, howling in outrage and pain. Considering that it was a nearly two-millennium old Kappa we were talking about, it was a powerful _and_ pissed creature of the water shadows that leapt out and attacked the issue of Kuchiki Ginrei.

Said issue barely had time to dodge before a huge water-ball impacted and left a neat circular crater where he had been standing just a second ago. Byakuya barely escaped the next one before turning to face his opponent.

Most freak out when they realise that Kappas weren't fictional, but are walking, talking and breathing creatures. Kuchiki Byakuya was decidedly not in that category, Kappa decided as it dodged the sakura blossoms now threatening to decimate him. _This is_ _bad,_ he decided. _Ojou is gonna kill me for this. And despite the peace Nurarihyon Sama worked so hard for, Ryuuhito Sama is gonna have a panic on his hands. Ah well, one can't have everything in the world._

Fighting against two millenniums of instinct that prompted him to fight, Kappa ran for it. Jumping into the pond, it kept on swimming, never stopping until it reached the sewers. Never again go for a Kuchiki's pond, he decided.

__________________________________________________________________________________

At the same time, Chiyuki was being grilled. _These people,_ she decided, _either don't have much of a life, or are actually less humane than Youkai._

She was simply pretending to listen. So far, the only repeating words were 'responsibility', 'duty', and 'child' and so on, either way connected to the Lady's _duty_ of bearing heirs. _Instead of 'Lady', they should replace it with 'bun oven',_ she grumbled in her head.

This was so different; in the Kazumi House, it was always rather noisy, generally casual-very casual-, with even the most stalwart of Elders bickering like kids. Here, it was the quiet, rather stuffy meetings common to the high nobility that most secretly hated. Chiyuki almost missed the fistfights; they always meant that there was sukiyaki afterwards. As a child, she had learnt to keep bandages handy, not to mention the sukiyaki pot boiling. Then the Tanuki would try to make a pass, and get his hand singed by a passing flame, Yoichi always begging for second helpings, the different Oni competing over who gets the bigger piece of meat, only to have it stolen, Chiaki Nii Sama and Onee Sama acting like lovebirds, even though they tied the knot sixty years ago....

She was interrupted from her train of thought as a wet splat of liquid moving at high density sounded. The fastest to get out of the room, she hurried to the pond, where she spied Byakuya staring at the pond, then meeting her eyes, disbelief written all over his face.


	15. Chapter 15 A Loliloving Kidou Master

LaLunaticScribe Presents:

Monsters in Seireitei 15

_**Note: This takes place when Hitsugaya, Matsumoto, Renji, Ikkaku, Yumichika and Rukia are in the human world, since it would be easier to follow the story with this in mind.**_

Byakuya was still staring at the pond in stark disbelief. Barely two minutes ago, had a troll-like _thing_ tried to attack him. Okay, so poking a living thing with a sword was decidedly not the brightest idea, so it definitely had grounds to attack, but still, the water cannon was rather overkill. He could have died there.

"Danna Sama? What is it?" Chiyuki called. He looked at her, as well as the Elders now crowding over to look at the commotion. This reminded Byakuya of yesterday, where Renji filed another complaint of strange sightings. He finally understood:

"_Taichou, I just saw something in the sky. It looks like a cross between a bird and Superman. Also, last night, my bathtub was licked out by a red human-like thing with a twelve-inch tongue. Oh, and someone was following me yesterday, but when I turned I couldn't see anyone. "_

At which in the most inopportune moment of every plane of existence, a few Hollows decided to appear in the Kuchiki estate.

__________________________________________________________________________________

"_We seek you." _The Hollow at the head of the group intoned towards Chiyuki's general direction.

The Hollow barely had time to finish before they were met with a blast of Kido, and a faceful of Senbonzakura. Byakuya then systematically wiped out the remaining Hollows, without Chiyuki even lifting a finger.

She, however, did lift several Kidou nets to fry the remaining Hollows. Barely had the last Hollow turned to ash had then she felt Byakuya's deceptively slender but strong hands closing around her waist, then been unceremoniously hoisted over the shoulder and off they went. __________________________________________________________________________________

Ten minutes later, Byakuya had just finished rattling off an entire report to Yamamoto SouTaichou. The SouTaichou had the most incredulous expression, so rare that it made Byakuya nearly wish he had a camera, but then the rare incredulity was then replaced with the customary old-man poker face.

"Very well, let me get this straight. Byakuya, you say that the Hollows were definitely after Chiyuki, right?" Nod.

"Oh dear... it'll be Arrancar next. If your _wife.._." Inside, Yamamoto enjoyed needling the otherwise cool Sixth Captain about his marriage and the conditions Byakuya could not fight against, "...is kidnapped, injured or otherwise inconvenienced, I will have a very hard time explaining. As it is, Byakuya, you are currently holding one of Soul Society's most powerful people in a fireman's carry. Put her down."

It was only then Byakuya realised that he was still holding her. Funny; she weighed almost next to nothing, or anything that would make any difference to him anyway. He put her back down, trying to avoid any compromising... movements. This was bad enough, but if photos leaked out, he would never hear the end of it.

"Chiyuki, I realise that mostly, most Kazumi members' reiatsu are especially appealing to Hollows, so the Kazumi manor has a Kidou barrier around it. Byakuya, I want the barrier on your house strengthened."

"SouTaichou, the barrier on my manor is one commissioned by the Royal Family. The Kidou Corps have already told me that there is no stronger barrier existing, other than lethality stone."

Just then, a Hell Butterfly flew in and landed on Yamamoto's ear. After listening intently, Yamamoto sent an order for Soi Fon to bring the 'blackmail material' here; whatever it was, Byakuya was a bit freaked out.

"Byakuya, there is one other Kidou master stronger than the entire Kidou Corps put together. Just that he doesn't publicise that fact. Here's his card." Yamamoto added hastily, pulling out a carrying card from his desk and passing it over. Byakuya wasn't fooled; he knew who it was, and that if possible, the Gotei Juusantai had no reason to go after a former Captain who mysteriously 'lost' his Zanpakutou and pleaded marriage as a retirement reason.

Just then, Soi Fon walked in, bearing a brown envelope. "SouTaichou, here is the stuff you wanted. Anything else?"

Yamamoto turned to face her, motioning to the nearby Chiyuki, who was then very decidedly trying not to ogle her husband. "Soi Fon, please go with Byakuya to get a message to Kazumi Chiaki."

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The look of horror on Soi Fon's face was bad enough to make even stoic Byakuya wish for a camera.

"SouTaichou, please, no, anything else but him? I have absolutely no desire to go anywhere near that place, or within fifty meters of that.... that...." She made a violent gesture that conveyed a very general idea of what she would do if she could.

"Fiend? Monster?" Chiyuki suggested helpfully. They ignored her.

"Soi Fon, it's an order." Yamamoto said firmly. Even so, nobody could fail to see the twinkle in Yamamoto's eyes. "And I highly doubt Chiaki would try anything funny with a Captain around. Or...you were referring to that time where you infiltrated in and landed in the room when he was doing..."

"He demanded an ungodly price for a simple barrier! There's nothing he wouldn't do! And you promised not to bring that up again!!" Soi Fon retorted, looking like she was about to cry.

No time for tears, the pair of them managed to get Soi Fon out of the office and to the Kazumi Manor's front gate.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

By some incredible miracle later, Byakuya understood Soi Fon's comment.

"The bastard." Soi Fon snarled as she stomped down the extremely weird hellhounds stationed there. "Never liked visitors. Always preferred his privacy. So he sets the hounds loose."

The trio made it to the front gate, where a giant of a guard escorted them to the main door. Several turns and twists later, they found themselves outside, facing an outdoor hallway with a door on the other end. As the approached the door, Byakuya heard the strains of koto music nearby.

"Koto?" Byakuya asked Chiyuki. "The security. It's a barrier. As long as the koto plays, no one walks in or out. The koto's over there."She answered, pointing. Byakuya followed her finger to the side of the door, where a 13-stringed koto lay. Although no one was plucking, the strings on the koto still vibrated, playing its haunting melody. _That is neat,_ he thinks. _A self-playing koto._

As the song ended, a cry rose on the other end. Somehow, to Byakuya it sounded not as a cry of alarm, but the kind of cries heard during sex. Which was somewhat disconcerting and only served to deepen Byakuya's impression of Chiaki having the morals of an alley cat. Ten seconds later, the cry was followed by a bang, a curse, and within the next twenty seconds, a _neatly dressed_ Kazumi Chiaki poked his head through the crack in the door he opened.

The suspiciously neat appearance garnered two reactions; a "How did you do that?" from Soi Fon, and a "I'm not going to ask" from Byakuya. "Nii Sama, move. You're blocking the hallway."

"Sorry." Chiaki replied as he complied. Soon, all three visitors were in the hallway, moving towards the nearby room when Chiaki interrupted: "Oh, it's not that room, it's further on."

"Nii Sama, this is the room where you receive visitors, isn't it?" Chiyuki asked with some faked surprise. "I was not aware you changed the arrangement. Unless..." This was followed with raised eyebrows from both Captains present.

"Well, if you say so..." Chiaki opened the door. A short girl, dressed in black, cannoned Chiyuki in the midriff and began crying, to the chagrin of both Captains.

Byakuya studied the girl. Just barely touching five feet, the small stature was covered by a black kimono with a pattern of roses on it, matched with purple obi. Her straight black hair was cut short at the sides, and tied with a big red ribbon at the back of her head in a way that let it show against the black background (for those with problems imagining, think of Nue from Tayutama: Kiss on My Deity). It looked like the sort of thing a potential Zanpakutou's form would take, he decided. _And that fiend! How dare he defile this innocent girl. Why, she barely looks ten years old!_

"Yuki Chan, Aki's been horrible again... it hurts..." the girl sobbed into the cotton hakama. Byakuya turned a stern gaze to his former instructor, who just shrugged. Soi Fon looked like she would have liked nothing better than to pound his head in right now.

"Onee Sama..." _That girl's married to that Lolicon freak?_ "You say that every single time he fondles you." Chiyuki serenely told the small girl. Then, she turned to Byakuya and Soi Fon. "Sorry about that. Come, follow me to the other room. Nii Sama has..." Here, she shot her brother a dirty look, "_lunch_ to finish."

When they were seated and served tea, Soi Fon motioned to the door, asking: "Lunch?"

"Did you look at the kimono, Soi Fon San? It also explains Nii Sama's supposedly neat attire." Chiyuki answered smoothly. Byakuya vaguely remembered that the kimono was rumpled before stark comprehension dawned on him.

Ten seconds later, there was another cry of pleasure, and then Chiaki entered the room, still looking as immaculate as ever, dressed today in light blue. The facade did not fool anyone here.

"Now then, to send Soi Fon here... this must be business, correct? And then you want me to construct a barrier, am I right?" Chiaki asked as he sat on the cushion. "Common sense; Soi Fon was ordered here, so naturally, there is something to give. Hand it over." Soi Fon complied, handing the envelope over. Chiaki opened it and whistled. "Enough. Now, your requirements. And, finally, the consultation fee. After all, I'm retired. I just teach now. I don't construct barriers much anymore, you know."

"Chiaki Dono, get to it." Byakuya answered, careful not to show any irritation. Chiaki did not notice, but just got the requirements and fee from Soi Fon, who had a look of long suffering on her. Chiaki, the ever theatrical clown, drew a couple of plans on paper that mysteriously appeared.

"Kurohime's asleep at the moment. After all, she's not really experienced, so it takes a bit getting used to..."

Record-needle scratch to reality. "You married your _Zanpakutou_?" Byakuya answered in disbelief. Soi Fon was considerably less surprised. However, the air in the room now stank of tension as the two Zanpakutous began giving off reiatsu in disbelief. And rage.

"Why? I checked the laws. There is no such law against marriage to one's weapon, no?" Chiaki replied, looking shocked. Chiyuki leaned closer to Byakuya, whispering: "Don't get him on how he beat Hime nee Sama into submission. It's literal submitting, if you catch my drift." Byakuya got the drift, Soi Fon could guess, and after that, no one dared say anything on the subject. They just quickly finished their business and scarpered before Chiaki raised the price to one that even Byakuya probably would not pay.

_**The Youkai Renji encounters are the Tengu, Akaname and the Betobeto San respectively. Please visit The Obakemono Project for information on these. Also, please review. **_


	16. Chapter 16 20 Questions to Old Memories

LaLunaticScribe presents:

Monsters in Seireitei 16

Ten minutes later, the barrier was erected, a spinning cone of reiatsu over the manor that would shred only those with Hollow reiatsu into paper-thin pieces. The five minutes after, a piece of news went around: The bill received by Yamamoto later nearly sent the oldest Captain in Seireitei to the 4th Squad from a heart attack. Kazumi Chiaki's idea of revenge for making him erect the barrier on the Kuchiki house was to add all additional costs _besides the actual barrier_ and send the bill over. When asked in reply by the _Shinigami Newspaper_, Kazumi Chiaki's only reply was: "Wow, I was going to add the transport costs, but then decided against it."

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Byakuya was not very surprised by this news; his Kidou instructor was a famous loan-shark, regardless of what the Secret Mobile Corps could and couldn't pin on him. Even if he was a chivalrous person who often gave concessions to his debtors, Kazumi Chiaki was not known as "The Great Loan-Shark" for his chivalry, even if nobody committed suicide due to their debts.

No, what surprised him was the gift he sent over: A nondescript scroll, with a simple kanji for west written on it. Inside the scroll was written the names of all the debtors in West Rukongai, the most prominent name being a certain fireworks maker's. Unbelievably, the Kazumi family's idea of a suitable present was power over an entire quarter or so of Rukongai's people.

The Elders had even gathered over to discuss the big present. The problem was what to send over. After all, few things matched up to power. The atmosphere was tense as the Elders and Byakuya pondered.

"We could send gold…" "No good, the Kazumi family never accepts gold as presents." "How about a sword?" "He never accepts those." "Then… a painting?" "Too many of those over there. The Kazumi family started out as artists."

And the list went on, till they decided to send a woodprint worth about enough to buy three large houses. By the time the messenger came back, night had already fallen. Another messenger accompanied the first messenger.

"You claim, Captain Soi Fon, that Chiyuki is capable of pyrokinesis?" Byakuya asked bemusedly to the second messenger.

"There is no doubt. Also, during the middle of a battle, she pulled a book out of thin air and started tearing pages out. What kind of sane person would do that? Yamamoto SouTaichou wants to see that book, and sends me to inform you to get the book." Soi Fon answered.

Byakuya sighed, got up and went to the shoji screen. Sliding it open, he said: "I won't be seeing you out."

By the time the shoji screen slid closed, Soi Fon had disappeared.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"I have every right to a lawyer in an interrogation, Danna Sama. So I am not obliged to tell."

_So much for civil conversation,_ Byakuya thought. The pair of them was seated across each other, Chiyuki having changed into a white kosode with blue hakama to match. The earthen cups were arranged in a way that made it seem like two barriers instead of two innocent drinking cups.

"I am not interrogating, I am merely trying to get information from you."

"This is about the same thing. We are married in name, but not more than that, you would remember. I am not obliged to say anymore." Chiyuki answered. "However, let's play a game."

"Game?" Byakuya repeated dumbly. A Cheshire's smile met his answer. "A series of games where I answer any question, truthfully and without changing subjects, if I lose. However, you will do the same if you lose."

And so, the noble Kuchiki Byakuya is playing Cho Han with his wife, in a game mixed with Twenty Questions. He won the first round, to some comfort.

"So, ask your question."Chiyuki asked, fanning herself.

He decided to test it out. "How old are you?"

"Two hundred by the beginning of winter." That tallied with what he already knew.

He won again. "I can sense great reiatsu from you, enough to be even a seated officer. Why did you not join?"

"I had other concerns." At Byakuya's raised eyebrow, she added, "Nii Sama and O Jii Sama were nearly always out. I ran the household and the family business during their absence."

And slowly, a picture of the ever industrious young girl surfaced, as he won again. "Why did you suggest we get married in the first place?"

"You sound accusing again. To answer your question, it was more convenient. O Jii Sama would not bother Yamamoto SouTaichou, since not of the official matchmakers dare to approach any Kazumi, and he is rather… difficult to reject. Like this, the Rukongai people think about rebelling thrice, when a scion of Seireitei is married to the princess of the Kazumi family."

"Why?" Byakuya asked in surprise. The Rukongai had no reason to like any noble family. So why were the Kazumi an exception?

"We are very charitable." she answered. "And we never discriminate, unlike some I could mention. Also, I hardly need to mention that we have power." _With a capital P._

He hurriedly started the next round, anxious to get to it. He lost. With her piercing blue eyes boring through him, she whispered: "Your wife, Hisana- forgive me, but let's scrap the formalities- you loved her." It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes, I did. Then again, everyone knows that." He said with some annoyance. That subject always made him touchy, always tore deeper into his heart.

"Would it be interesting to know, that she reciprocated? The last thing she saw, Danna Sama?" she whispered again. Now, Byakuya noticed the temperature change, like he had just suddenly been dipped in a freezer. He was also more attuned to the power flowing around him. "That would be nice. How can you do that? It is impossible." He answered, careful to keep a straight face.

"Anything is possible; that's the Kazumi motto." She answered, pulling a book out from her sleeve. "I just obtained a very interesting read today. Care to hear?"

"No."

"Hear it anyway." With a flourish, she opened to the last page and began reading out loud, a sound that enchanted the listener and snared Byakuya's attention, drawing him into nostalgia, and sending the old feelings rushing back in a torrent of confusion:

_Here I lay on my deathbed. It's comfortable, he says, but I could not feel it through the pain wracking my entire body. My husband, the man whom I am proud of, sat beside my futon, holding my left hand, looking through those deep black vibrant pools at me with such an intense, yet broken gaze as he gazed upon me. _

_Having just told my husband- again, it is the only thread of feeling that I can feel through the pain- my dying wish, I could only entreat him again "I'm sorry that you had to care for me at the very end."_

"_I'm sorry that I could not return the love that you had given me."_

"_These five years that I have spent with you have been like a dream to me."_

_These all sounded like those romance novels that travelling writers sold cheaply back in Rukongai, but as I spoke them word for word, I placed my every feeling for Byakuya Sama behind them, knowing that it could be the very last words I ever spoke again._

_Then, as I spoke my husband's name, "Byakuya Sama.", I closed my eyes, preparing for the peace and silence that only death could bring._

_Even if my last sight was the blooming plum blossom, my husband gazing at it, the last sound that I heard as I began to sleep was the first sob I had ever heard from my ever stoic husband. The unease barely had time to stir before I was claimed by the grey spectre hanging over me._

And with a thundering finality, or at least to Byakuya, the book thundered shut.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chiyuki admired her own handiwork. Hisana's memories, housed in _Weaving the Truth_, were probably showing its effect on Byakuya. Now to deal with the barrage of questions that would come sooner or later.

The great Kuchiki Byakuya, Head of the Kuchiki Clan, Captain of the Sixth Squad, was currently stuck in a daydream. The daydream was showing that scene five years ago, but this time from _Hisana's point of view. _

"H-how..." Byakuya hoarsely whispered, his eyes slowly reverting to face Chiyuki. _And the brick falls…_

This time, the temperature was so cold that Byakuya's breath rushed out in mist. The atmosphere thickened considerably as he looked at her for an answer; one that she couldn't give.

"The game, remember?" she answered instead, motioning to the dice.

By sheer determination or dumb luck, Chiyuki did not know, but Byakuya won the next three games.

"Where did you get the book?"

"In a library." The closest to what she could say.

"Which one?"

"The one in the Kazumi Manor." Also partly true.

"Soi Fon said that you were tearing the pages of a book out in the middle of a battlefield. Does this have anything to do with the book?"

_Okay, now it's really awkward. _"Er…..yes." she answered, unable to lie.

His own glittered dangerously. "Tell me."

"I really don't…"She was cut off by the great amount of reiatsu leaking into the air. Normally, she would answer with reiatsu of her own, but perhaps now wasn't such a good idea.

"Er…" She waved her hand. A large, thick hardback, leather-bound volume plopped onto the table out of thin air. Written in glittering gold was the title, _Chronicles of the White Sakura_.

"I can solidify the memories of people." She blurted out, scarcely able to believe that she was talking about this. "I can take anyone; solidify their memory into any sort of paper, depending on their personality, the title being one recurring theme in their lives."

Byakuya moved closer to the volume; even from far, no one could ignore the power humming in the book. He flipped open the book, landing on a random page:

_I chased the demon cat throughout the forest. The sun was setting; I had to catch up soon. How the hell she could be so fast is still beyond me. Ouch, I hit a thick tree by mistake. Great, now she's laughing…._

He closed it, hardly daring to believe what was in his hand. His mind flashed to the time, during one of the many games of tag, where he had crashed into a tree. Not one of his better moments.

"If I concentrate enough, I can also tell the story of objects, and places. If it's a memory, I can access it." Chiyuki continued. "I keep it secret because people feel uncomfortable that I can read their memories with a wave of my hand."

"Can you interfere with their memories too?" Byakuya asked, carefully storing away this information for reporting later.

"Yes, I can. By rewriting or tearing pages of the book, I can edit or delete what the subject remembers."

It took some time for this to set in. Byakuya sat straight and fixed an eagle eye on her. She now looked vulnerable and innocent, not the expected look of the strong.

"I'm sorry for telling you this." She said, standing to face him.

"Why?"

She looked him straight in the eye. "I'm going to have to remove this from your memory."


	17. Chapter 17 Passion and Fire of Life

LaLunaticScribe presents:

Monsters in Seireitei 16

_**Possibility of action!!! And some troubles for poor Byakuya.**_

Byakuya barely had time to snatch the book from the table before Chiyuki lunged at it. The surprisingly heavy volume nearly made His Iciness start from how heavy it was, despite being only a centimetre thick, with cover dimensions of roughly an A4 sheet, giving her a chance to attempt to snatch it. However, before he could lose the book, he shunpo'ed off, out of range of attack.

"Why? You have told me this of your own accord. Therefore, you should have no grounds for this." Byakuya calmly said to her. "And shame my family? No way!! Besides, how do you feel now that you know that I could tamper with your memory anytime?" Chiyuki snarled, lunging for the book, which was quickly moved out of her reach. Byakuya, in a split-second decision, decided to move _himself _out of reach not too soon; she was next elbowing the place where his solar plexus was half a second ago.

"Give the book back." She stated very quietly, turning to the left to face him. "I must remove the event from your memory. I cannot allow any of this to leak out."

"No. As much as I sympathise, I refuse to have my memory tampered with." Byakuya answered. "I will return it only if I can guarantee that my memory is not removed." _That sounds creepy._

Chiyuki drew herself to her full height, radiating sheer anger that Byakuya felt the first fluttering of… fear? What would a five-foot-four woman have to inspire fear in one of the strongest of Captains? Except that this woman wasn't Shinigami or Hollow, yet she incinerated fifty people to ash.

"Then, you leave me no other choice. Out of respect, I never used this. But seeing that you do not comply…" Chiyuki sadly replied with a sad look in her eyes as she closed them. When she opened them again, the pupils shone silver, and the temperature dropped so much that ice was forming in the cups. When she next spoke, the cadence had changed; it was no longer feminine and high, but low, sultry, beguiling, enchanting to the ears.

"_Byakuya Sama, hand the book to me." _She said, the cadence of the voice seducing him as the silver in her eyes continued to enchant him, telling him to do her bidding. Byakuya was mesmerised; the sounds of the Youkai at least had that much power. Even the Spirit King was helpless under a strong Youkai's _osore_, or the lowest form of magic used to hypnotise. It was within the ability of even the weakest to put a complete spell on the strongest minds, except for their own kinds.

"_Byakuya Sama, the book."_ Chiyuki intoned. Names had power, and a full name, when used, could even imprison a soul in the deepest recesses of limbo.

Of course, the pigheaded nature of Kuchiki Byakuya was not accounted for. He fought against the kibosh that spell laid on him, shaking it free before he actually handed the book over. His pride whispered to shut her up. Byakuya, without any clear mental faculties, simply obeyed instinct.

Now, here's an amazing thing: Instinctually, when shutting someone up, a person would start to kiss a person, right? In a panicked situation (i.e. stopping the wife from tampering with your memory), the brain would automatically respond. The hands are out (seeing as noise would still be heard) and no other thing would do (none handy), they move automatically to shut the person up with a liplock, the most effective gag known to man.

So, Byakuya obeyed instinct. Grabbing both sides of Chiyuki, Byakuya drew her into a deep, searing kiss.

To say it was divine would not do any justice at all. Chiyuki found herself slowly overpowered; the kiss shaking her very foundations, her legs nearly giving way as Byakuya, still under the influence of instinct, began unconsciously moving in.

Now, here's a tidbit for the story: Foxes, especially females, are very amorous. The word _foxy _is not doing it justice. Female Foxes, or Kitsune, attract men with their natural sexiness. No one can escape that influence, save the occasional lunatic or cloistered monk. Or the not sexually receptive at all. Any Kitsune worth their salt need only to sway a finger and the entire street becomes under their willing servant.

So, arousing a Kitsune is not a very good idea, as Chiyuki slowly realised. Before she knew it, the Kitsune pheromones were affecting Byakuya even worse, as both collapsed onto the tatami, Chiyuki squashed under Byakuya, slowly getting aroused…

"Er… Kuchiki Taichou??!! Sorry, sorry!!! I'm going out now!!!" Kotetsu Kiyone quickly slammed the shoji screen, snapping Byakuya out of the illusion. A quick two seconds before he quickly got off Chiyuki ensued.

Chiyuki could only lie there, staring at him. Her eyes were still flickering silver, but she could not care. Then, quick as a whip, she got up, pinning a fierce silver stare onto Byakuya, that bastard. "Give the book back."

"Not yet." He answered, sliding the book into the shihakusho, turning to the screen. "We will talk more on my return."

And with a finality in it, the screen slid shut.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Byakuya, unlike the noble he always pretended to be, allowed himself to thump into the wall, hoping to dissolve the scene from his head. Still, her taste remained on his lips, hot like fire, yet it had the same effect as freezerburn, chilling his very core before enveloping it in hot flames. The taste committed itself to memory so fast that Byakuya was sorely tempted to tear out a page just to remove it, and yet he could not.

Quickly, he got Kotetsu to tell him the next mission: A bunch of Hollows to beat up, and help Ukitake. He immediately went, praying fervently that after this fight, he would forget everything that happened.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(Three hours later)

_You bastard, why did you get like this now?_ Chiyuki thought as she looked at her husband.

Earlier, he had gone off to help Ukitake with a few Hollows. Unfortunately, Kotetsu had forgotten to mention that there were Arrancar there. He and the mid-TB-attack Ukitake had been caught off guard and a sword run through them before they realised it and decimated it. Now, both lives were in grave danger, for the sword had poison, of all things, in it.

Like I have worse things to do, Chiyuki thought as she looked around for witnesses. Quickly she got the book back. Flipping onto a certain page, she quickly drew out a pen and wrote in it.

Byakuya's body began to heal instantly. The sword wound was no more; no trace of it was left. Chiyuki kept writing, feeding the book power, until Byakuya's wounds had finally disappeared enough to pass as a minor injury. She had neglected to tell him one thing; the book could control his body, meaning that if no record of any injury was in the book, it didn't exist. However, messing too many times could easily kill than cure. "I'm doing this so that I can escape the marriage, got it?" she hissed to the unconscious Byakuya.

With the job done, Chiyuki quickly left before Unohana could detect the reiatsu, and went to attend to Soul Society's most troublesome patients.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Kyoraku busy keeping vigil outside was not very easy to slip past, but she managed.

"Ojou, this better be fast. The barrier cannot hold forever." Yoichi panted in human form as he set up a discreet barrier.

"Got it." She surveyed the damage done. Broken lungs and ribs, with one rib puncturing the lung, and more broken bones than hole, Ukitake should be dead by now. As it was, a miracle was going to happen.

"Kappa Jii." She motioned to the troll thing. The Kappa merely nodded, then set about fixing the bones. With the renowned Koppa Jutsu, taught to humans by the Kappa, Ukitake's ribs and bones were quickly dealt with. Then, the tricky part began.

"Kappa Jii, he's going to die." Chiyuki whispered, blue flames sprouting from her fingers. Kappa nodded in her direction, allowing her to plant the flames towards Ukitake's various wounds. This was no ordinary flame, but the personification of life, Chiyuki's life force.

Slowly, Ukitake's wounds sealed themselves. Chiyuki could use Ukitake's book to save him, but it was useless once the subject was on the edge of death. Not to mention that it took a lot out of Chiyuki, trading her sanity in for the power. Easier to pay in life force, since she could afford it. Though she will faint later out of exhaustion.

Ukitake's breathing became more stable, calming entirely. With a sigh, Kappa reached into his chest, forming a portal to reach in and grab. He pulled out a black gelatinous substance and dropped it into a jar he held. Ukitake was no longer wheezing, but breathing calmly, far healthier than before.

"He's going to be fine." Chiyuki breathed out, collapsing on the floor. "That was fifty years of TB. He'll be okay. Now, then, I don't owe any more favours."

A bang resounded on the door. Then, a series of bands followed it, all aimed at the barrier.

Yoichi whistled. "We've got company."

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Anyone in the vicinity was smart enough to scram right away. Anyone dumb enough to stay scarpered immediately.

Kyoraku was blasting the barrier with all he had, which was a lot. After sensing the weird reiatsu-the barrier failed to stop it- he had realised that it came from Jyuu's room, which was enough for Kyoraku not to destroy the entire 4th Squad. Instead, he threw all his might against the barrier, hoping that he was in time.

Suddenly, the barrier dissipated. As Kyoraku peered in, he could only tell that there was no one there. Instead, Ukitake lay on the hospital bed, which surprised Kyoraku as to his state. Unohana had said to prepare for his funeral, which was now unnecessary.

Ukitake's injuries had all healed, Kyoraku slowly realised. What's more is that Ukitake had a healthy colouring on his cheeks, different from his usual sickly pallor. Around him hung residual traces of reiatsu, which, as far as Kyoraku could tell, had healed him. Extending his senses, he quickly found the source.

Which explained why, when Unohana arrived, Kyoraku was holding Chiyuki in his arms.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"The reiatsu's a match, Shunsui."

Kyoraku accepted the news with a nod of his head. It had been confirmed that Kazumi Chiyuki had used a completely unknown method to heal both Captains. The method, whatever it was, had left her unconscious and now sleeping. Besides her bed stood Byakuya, an inscrutable expression on his face. Kyoraku stood on the other side, waiting for the 'fairy' as he called her, to wake.

And when she finally woke, her eyes flickered silver.


	18. Chapter 18 My Wife Has Nine Tails

Monsters in Seireitei 18

_**Due to some problems to the plot, this came out later than the spinoff. Please note that the past three weeks were the Singapore exam period, so I was occupied anyway.**_

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Continuing on from last… For those who don't remember….**

Kyoraku accepted the news with a nod of his head. It had been confirmed that Kazumi Chiyuki had used a completely unknown method to heal both Captains. The method, whatever it was, had left her unconscious and now sleeping. Besides her bed stood Byakuya, an inscrutable expression on his face. Kyoraku stood on the other side, waiting for the 'fairy', as he called her, to wake.

And when she finally woke, her eyes flickered silver.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As Yoichi and Kappa Jii lumbered (Yoichi ran, the Kappa lumbered in front) off, they sensed the reiatsu that was Chiyuki's beginning to congeal and freeze.

"Is this a good idea? Ojou could freeze the entire Fourth Squad barracks." Yoichi asked Kappa.

"Good point. So, you go back to notify… oh." Kappa stopped mid-sentence as he spied two figures walking towards them.

"What?"

"Nothing… just that Ryuuhito Sama is here."

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Throughout all nearly fifty years of Captainship, Byakuya had faced down all sorts of Hollows, Menos and the occasional natural Arrancar. He had fought rogue Shinigami, battled mountains of paperwork, fought off Elders harping on his previous marriage status (widower) and his current family status (no kids), gone toe-to-toe with a certain Substitute Shinigami slash Vaizard, and brought the Kuchiki Clan to greater heights than it had been previously after battling the difficult intrigues and politics between the Four Great Noble Houses (shady and fraught, as the Kazumi House's numerous _contacts_ stood testament to). The other three Captains had centuries more experience than him.

And yet nothing had stopped his wife from freezing the room, figuratively and _literally_.

The room looked worse than Hyorinmaru's decorating scheme, which was saying a lot. The cause of this was seated upright on the bed, her eyes shining silver behind the backdrop of night turning to dawn (it was night) as the reiatsu pouring out from her froze everything it touched. The nearby water jug froze instantly, causing the glass to crack. The comfortable room temperature turned to the Ice Age that Byakuya had felt only a few hours ago…

Record-scratch back to reality. How was he standing here after being stabbed through the chest? He looked down at his own chest. There was no bloodstain, no scar, and no _nothing_ to indicate any wound at all. Except possibly the last one from fifty years ago, when he was training for Bankai. Yoruichi had joked that 'maybe now you wouldn't look so much like a girl', but that wasn't it.

_What happened to me,_ he thought as he stared into the haunting silver of her eyes, hoping that the answer was written there.

No such luck, the first thing that struck was fear. Everyone else, all four Captains to be exact, shrank back in fear as Chiyuki's hair turned from ebony black to snow white.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Kyoraku was literally quaking in his sandals suddenly. He didn't know why, but the snow white hair and silver eyes reminded him of something scary. He didn't know why, or how, or what, but he did know that he would rather walk unarmed into a pack of Hollows than ever come near this feeling again.

Unohana, fighting against instinct to move, reached for the door, only to meet with a huge block of ice. The block had effectively rendered the door inaccessible, and considering that the window meant passing the epicentre of the cold, meant that the Captains were effectively trapped in a room built of cement mixed with lethality stone (Kenpachi hospitalisation precaution).

Before the Captains could get frozen, Chiyuki's eyes closed again, and she flumped down onto the bed.

"Kuchiki Taichou, she's probably hallucinating." Unohana Taichou stated as she checked Chiyuki, moving over once it was judged safe.

"Unohana Taichou, people do not freeze the room in hallucination." Byakuya stated coldly, trying not to hyperventilate as his wife's charm grabbed another hold on his senses. "Except possibly Captain Hitsugaya, and that was a Captain. She is not even a Shinigami."

"But she _is _a Kazumi." A voice answered him from the now open door.

The Captains all turned around… to see Yamamoto, along with Kazumi Chiaki and Ryuuhito.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Sensei, why are you here?" Ukitake asked, a frown forming on his face. Kyoraku decided to stay down as much as possible, much as he'd like to answer, for fear of attack from the ex-teacher.

"Felt the commotion. She's done it again, huh?" Ryuuhito asked, surveying the room. Byakuya prudently decided to step away from the angry grandfather who would do anything for his granddaughter. In doing so, he stepped closer to Chiyuki. Right beside the bed in fact, bumping into something…furry?

Startled, he turned and looked. There was a white, furry… something on the bed beside her. Actually, there were nine white furry somethings. Byakuya tried to get a hold of this: _they were tails?_

"Ryuuhito Dono, your granddaughter has… tails?" Byakuya asked incredulously, wondering if the family was a distant relation of Komamura. Now, he knew how Hisagi felt when said Lieutenant filed a report about a blue-faced (literally)woman who had attacked him and then tried to devour him. The report had been thrown out and demanded to be rewritten.

"Tails… oh dear." Ryuuhito unconsciously murmured, wandering over to take a look.

Normally, Byakuya would not have noticed him, but when a person looks incredibly like a familiar person (i.e. your Lieutenant), human instinct would look close to spot any differences. Then, he noticed the tuft of red fur sticking out from the bottom of Ryuuhito's pants.

So it came to no surprise that his first reaction was to rub his eyes to check that no, he was not hallucinating, that his wife and grandfather-in-law had tails. Or, convince him that Ryuuhito's wearing feather sandals, except that it wouldn't do jack about Chiyuki's tails.

He looked over to his former Sensei, Chiaki, who was smiling serenely in his direction, mouthing _No, it's not a hallucination._

"Er… Ryuuhito Sensei, why does your granddaughter have tails?" Kyoraku voiced out, preparing to run before Ryuuhito got in his head Kyoraku's existence.

"Oh my… Sensei has tails? Where did those come from?" Unohana asked innocently, but only an idiot would not notice the creepy aura. "I sure hope Mayuri didn't try anything with your granddaughter…"

Right on cue, in walked in Kurotsuchi Mayuri, as always accompanied by Kurotsuchi Nemu. "I sensed some weird reiatsu and decided to investigate…" The words died on his tongue as the white tails all began moving. "What is that? Funny, there is some coincidence."

"Coincidence to…?" Unohana asked, the creepy aura on so strongly that Kurotsuchi decided not to screw around and talk fast.

"I was, as they say, trawling through the real world Internet when I came across a few stories. I didn't think much of it, till now. The stories were talking about the Youkai or something like that."

"So what do these stories have to do with the tails? Unless…."Here, Mayuri decided to talk faster, as even Nemu wouldn't be able to shield him from Unohana's wrath.

"No!!!! No one is crazy enough to court that family's wrath! Anyway, among the Youkai, there is a certain species called Kitsune, apparently one of the more famous ones. Its capabilities include being able to rip apart the fabric of reality at whim, and that's the weakest. The stronger the fox, the more tails they have. It's most powerful form is called…"

"The Nine-tailed Fox." Yamamoto finished for him.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"How did you know that?" Mayuri asked. "There are no records of these… fictional records around Soul Society."

"Mayuri, there are records." Yamamoto said slowly. "The records are simply in the Royal Palace. They were moved there five hundred years ago, during the last War. The point is, yes, I know the story. Ryuu, should we tell them?" He directed a question to the second old man there, scowling.

"Whatever. Or, maybe we could simply remove all their memories?" Ryuuhito asked hopefully.

The hopeful expression disappeared as most expressed their disapproval. "Ah, fine." The tuft of fur twitched, catching Byakuya's notice. "Just not here. Come on, we'll crash the Kuchiki manor. I haven't been there since five hundred years ago."

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_**Please review!! It is due to all the people who at least type that I am really grateful to. Thank you for your support.**_


	19. Chapter 19 Another Twist in the Tale

Monsters in Seireitei 19

And thus, an hour later, the group was assembled at the Kuchiki House, sipping tea while Byakuya ensured that Chiyuki was settled.

Then, he went to entertain his guests.

"Now this is very interesting." Mayuri was examining the book Byakuya had taken back. The book appears to write itself with each passing moment. There are literally thousands of pages in it. The most interesting thing, though, is that the cover may be a physical representation of the book's subject."

"And how did you figure that out?" Byakuya asked, slightly nervous; hey, his very memory was in the hands of a lunatic.

"The stab marks right through the exact centre, though the pages aren't affected." Mayuri answered, handing the book to him. He checked it; true to word, there was a stab mark on the exact centre, but the pages were barely scratched. There was another corresponding mark on the back cover. Byakuya's hand unconsciously drifted to his chest, wondering if that was the exact same one that had… impaled him moments before.

A silence fell as the Captains surveyed Yamamoto, Ryuuhito and Chiaki, all fully intent on their cups, probably wishing that they themselves were soluble in it.

"Say, about the book…." Mayuri started to ask.

Chiaki took the book. "Now, as you stated, the book represents a soul. The cover is the body, or container, while the pages are the contents, the memories. We all know what Blanks are, right?" He asked, waving the book around. All nodded; Blanks were souls that lost their memories in the space between the two worlds.

"Good, so the Blanks are essentially the empty covers, nothing inside, any pages disappeared to who knows where. And the Shinenju, the Memory Rosary, or the memories gathered, are the loose pages collected together. If you picture it like that, you get what I'm holding."

Comprehension dawned on everyone's face. "So, that book is…."

"Byakuya's power, essentially." Ryuuhito chipped in. "Bit unnerving, eh? I imagine that is what you're thinking now."Everyone started. "Relax; it's still beyond her ability, and we pride ourselves in never messing up anyone's memories anyway. Though it does come in useful sometimes…"

Byakuya hurriedly got the book back, hoping that he could lock it in the safe. Not that it does much good; they'll probably pick the safe anyway.

"So, anyway, the point is this," Deep breath. "I am neither Shinigami, or Hollow, or Vaizard or Arrancar or any other soul, but I am a Youkai 妖怪. The kanji means 'demon' and 'strange' or something similar to it. So, due to us not actually naming ourselves whatever, we are called Youkai for convenience.

Yes, I know what you feel," he added, forestalling Byakuya's indignant retort. "Still, in order to tell the story, I need a modicum of silence.

The point is, we aren't normal, if you get what I mean."

_Damn right,_ Kyoraku thought. _No one beats up their students all the time, except maybe Kenpachi._

"Anyway, we are the free spirits that maintain the forces of nature, of sorts. Not much is really known about us, except that we moved from the real world to here about five centuries ago, but some of us remained in the real world. Those that remained formed the blueprint of the Youkai stories.

Those that moved came here. However, the Spirit King didn't really want us strange spirits about, so we need an alliance. Our King made one, and we've been here ever since. End of story."

"So, why was there a need to marry your… granddaughter to me?" Byakuya asked, gritting his teeth. When one finds out that his wife isn't exactly any type of soul at all, but a Kitsune, this is a rather normal reaction, hence all the stories.

"There were two reasons. One was that within this six months, unless there was an attack on our family, we cannot interfere in Soul Society's business, be it invasion or not, no matter what. It is in our honor as neutral parties."

"What does this have to do with the marriage?"

"As stated, we cannot interfere unless our family is threatened. We protect our own."

"Oh." As of now, should there be an attack on Byakuya; the Youkai would then be allowed to step in. A chilling thought, considering that these…creatures had no idea of moderation. "And the second?"

Ryuuhito had the audacity to keep a straight face as he answered: "I wanted to settle my granddaughter fast."

Everyone else's face deadpanned; Kyoraku whispered to Chiaki: "Is he for real?"

"Yep." Chiaki whispered back. "He's perfectly serious."

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Next question: What are you going to do now that we know what you are?" Mayuri asked curiously.

"Well, I'm hoping that as Captains, you could keep mum or…" At this point, Ryuuhito's face split into a grin, "I could consider feeding you people to the hundred demons waiting outside…." Everyone got up to open the doors. No one was behind, but now there was an eerie aura in the Kuchiki manor, very similar to the one in the Kazumi manor.

"Remove your… spirits from my manor this instant."

"Now, now, they're here only as an extra security precaution. Anyway, the lot outside are vegetarian. Barely ever eat anything."

This did little to calm the Captains.

"And before you start denying our existence, remind yourselves that humans think you people are fictional."

"There's a big difference between a god of death and a strange spirit." Byakuya said defensively.

"Well, I ain't under your jurisdiction, nor anyone else's except for Royal decree, and that's only for another six months or so. Therefore, you can stop petitioning. After all, does my granddaughter bother you? No, she's pretty invisible. So, what are you complaining about? By next year, the annulment should be carried out already."

_Damn, that hurt._ Byakuya realized that to Ryuuhito, this was business; Chiyuki never realized that she was merely a pawn. "Don't you feel guilty about treating your granddaughter like this?"

"Sometimes, but then it's for the best unless…" Ryuuhito's voice died away as his features became inscrutable. He walked closer to Byakuya, sniffing as the latter silently backed. "You don't have any scent on you, so there's no love life I'm interfering. Neither have you slept with her yet. So, your point…?"

"Is that this has gone far enough." If he didn't know better, Ryuuhito would swear that the room temperature was metaphorically rising. "I, against my wishes, have taken your granddaughter in as my wife into my household and now, I realize that she has a lot more that I don't know. Now, the least you can do is to give a proper explanation." All this was stated coolly and calmly, the irritating Kuchiki way.

The tension hung in the air as no one even dared to breathe. The sound of the sliding door fortunately broke it.

Chiyuki stood in the door. Dressed in a white yukata, her pale face was covered in sweat. Still, she inched forward unsteadily, falling onto the nearby _zabuton*_ neatly.

"Danna Sama, _moshiokegozaimasen**_. I know that you do not want this arrangement, but please, just bear with it. Consider it payback for your life."She quickly apologized in a low voice. Then, tired as she was, finally collapsed onto the table.

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After this spectacle, Byakuya finally agreed. He always had a thing for damsels in distress, after all. However, damsels in distress do NOT drag themselves out of bed in delirium to beg one to go along with any plan. It's just not right. Drat nobility training. So he saw the team out, and proceeded to carry Chiyuki bridal-style into her room.

Finally, he managed to get Chiyuki into the futon. After briefly wondering about the use of Kidou to tie her down, he reached for the book, only to have it disappear before his very eyes. Yes, the uber-thick book with thousands of pages (the approximate height, thickness, breadth and weight of the Da Vinci Code's collector's edition, but contains more than it looks, with leather covering) just vanished into thin air.

Having already asked Unohana about his eyesight, to receive a confirmation that he was _not_ getting shortsighted (if he wore glasses, no one could tell him apart from Chiaki), he was not fooled.

"Where is the book?"

"Sorry, but I had to keep my power back. The book goes along with me."

"Oh well." As he kneeled beside her (not getting technical; it's a Japanese traditional, figure it out yourself), he suddenly decided that if there was a better time for answers, it was now. "Which reminds me….your tails…where did it…?"

Cue the ever-present question; How does one ask an intelligent sentient being about tails? Answer is, a) ask casually, but people think you're nuts, b) you can't. There's also c) assume that it's similar to Lolicon Nekomimi and that it's extra cute, but then Byakuya have never heard of that particular phrase, and even if he does, considers it vulgar. So he prudently chose option A. After all, it was his house.

"I hid it away." Cue; deadpan expression. "All Kitsune can hide their tails away. I'm not walking in public with that big tuft of fur behind me. O Jii Sama doesn't like it much, so he just stuffs it down his pants."

Now, he was trying not to laugh. "Yes, I see. Now, on to the next thing; can you really rip the fabric of reality apart?"

"Not now, but normally, yes. I just drained a good bit of power on healing; it's not my normal power. Besides, I place my sanity at risk every time I use it, so don't worry." She said, half-joking.

"Why?"

"The memories clog up my head. Of course, one learns to ignore it after a while, but it still hurts a bit. I can't summon a certain memory at will though."

Byakuya felt relieved; the last thing he needed was for anyone to poke among his memories. Still, there was always an accident… forget it, get on with the question.

"What did you do to Ukitake? I noticed that somehow, you used more than one method to heal him."

"His cells were given a boost." She answered. "Approximately fifty years worth of suffering was removed too, lessening the total strain on his body. Of course, I got someone else to do it; I don't have the skill."

"Nice to know that even the so-called invincible family also has certain things they're unable to do." He had suffered enough under the shadow of Kazumi Chiaki, the so-called most perfect, for long enough.

"Oww…" Chiyuki winced as the migraine set in. "I think I'll turn in now."

As Byakuya made it to the door, he heard her mumble: "Thanks."

"What for?" he asked, not facing her.

"For just listening."

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_**A zabuton is the traditional kneeling cushion. Moshiokegozaimasen means 'I'm very sorry'.**_


	20. Chapter 20: The Scary Story

Monsters in Seireitei 20

_**Since I'm dying to write this, please indulge me, and wait. For those with weak hearts, or need to stay away from scary things, skip this immediately and move on to the abridged version on the next chapter. This is the Japanese horror house version, so a lot of Youkai will turn up. Note that this is not for the faint of heart and that I will not be responsible for it being the direct/indirect cause of readers' hospitalisation/death/laughing/shock/insomnia/fear of the dark. You have been warned….**_

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Due to having healed two people in one day, Chiyuki was still asleep when nearly a full fourteen hours later, Byakuya made it home. Having to invent a story to account for his apparent stab, he was quickly saddled into the piles of paperwork that was foisted onto the Sixth Squad since Aizen's betrayal. Byakuya decided, next time he was going to roast all of it and let some other poor sap handle it.

The sun already setting, and dinner out of the way, Byakuya made his way to the Main room. Note the caps; the Main room was where the Elders held council. Not that anyone particularly cared about this meeting; it was more of a formal monthly update. Needless to say, he was slightly shocked-no, that'd be an understatement- when he saw Chiyuki, apparently sleeping five minutes ago, wide awake and, wearing another casual shihakusho, seated at the Lady's place. "I thought you were….."

"I'm awake, now. I'm perfectly fine."

And so she was, but then how was he supposed to know? The answer went like this: when anyone can sit through the extremely boring update, and even correct some information, for a whole two hours, you know they're fine.

And so, once the exceedingly boring meeting was over, even stoic Byakuya was ready to simply collapse into his futon; after all it was nearly midnight. Accustomed to navigating through the hallways of the manor, it took five minutes before Byakuya happily greeted his pillow and fell asleep…..

…until an hour later, where he was rudely awakened by thumping footsteps. Having always been a light, if not problematic sleeper, he was not really surprised that footsteps were waking him up. However, there lies the question: who was making the footsteps? Not the servants; all asleep. Not Chiyuki; the room she was in had a separate bathroom on its own. Rukia was in the real world, so that left only one possibility; thieves.

"Looks like we got company." A feminine voice issued from the relative darkness of his room. Chiyuki stepped out of the shadows, still wearing her shihakusho from before. Seating herself on the edge of his futon, she emotionlessly continued to observe him. "Oh well, thieves will learn the consequences of stealing from the Kuchikis."

"And how are they supposed to when no guards are out?" Byakuya asked, puzzled.

"Remember the 'security' O Jii Sama mentioned?" She asked innocently. It freaked him out a bit that anyone besides himself could still act innocent at that thought.

"I do not see how a few spirits can teach thieves a lesson…."

Right on cue, a loud piercing scream filled the night air, followed with about two minutes of unprintable obscenities, then screams of "Mommy, help me!!!!!!"

"…..remind me, where can I read up on these spirits?"

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Right, now, imagine you're a thief. You somehow break into the Kuchiki manor without raising the alarm. You and two accomplices are now searching the private rooms, armed with candles and knives, praying that you don't accidentally take the door with Kuchiki Byakuya behind it. As you walk past, you notice a valuable vase standing not far from you. From years of stealing, you know that that tiny vase is probably worth a lot. You reach out to grab it... and watch in horror as _the vase won't budge._

Then, as you attempt to remove it, tugging fruitlessly at the vase, you hear a _thump, thump_ sound from….above? In panic, you turn around quickly, hoping that it ain't Kuchiki Byakuya with Senbonzakura.

Nearby, your accomplice is examining a porcelain cup on display. He too hears the thumps but, unlike you, attributes it to some _wild_ sex going on. He gropes about in the dark, feeling for more possible loot when his hand connects with….flesh? Startled, he inches closer……….and closer towards the fleshy thing, but, in a split second, it's……………...gone. Relieved, he continues but stops as he feels a menacing presence above. He looks up, gazes unbelievably at the sight, and SCREAMS: "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"……

You and the other accomplice turn towards the source of the scream near you, to see…. Your accomplice squashed under the biggest _foot _you have ever seen. What's sticking out from beneath the foot is your accomplice's still thrashing right arm and leg. Then….the _foot_ lifts up, and crushes flat your accomplice into one flat soul pancake.

After this….a booming masculine voice reverberates throughout the hallway, sending fear into your heart as it booms: "_Wash. My. Foot_."

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now to escape Bigfoot, you run like hell down the hallway. Having seen the plans, you know that somewhere down the hallway there is a place leading to the garden, from where you can escape. However, you fail to anticipate that the room might be occupied.

Unfortunately, you turn the wrong way, and end up somewhere in the veritable maze of the manor's hallways. Instead, your accomplice goes in. The room's only occupant is a maid, and beautiful too, judging from the curves barely covered by the Kuchikis' uniform. Your accomplice decides that he might as well take a hostage now, what with all the commotion. So he grabs her around the neck…..and murmurs: "Quiet if you value your life, so don't lose your head and scream." He wrenches her by the neck to prove his point……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The head _detaches_ from the body, curiously not leaving a trace of blood. In shock, your accomplice drops the head screaming, followed by about two minutes' of unprintable obscenities. Then, like a big baby, he screams: "Mommy, help me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"……………………………………………….........................

……as the head begins to _float,_ the eyes rolling in their sockets, the teeth bared to show _fangs_, and a menacing expression as it slowly begins to float towards your accomplice, the fangs bared as it prepares to suck his blood…..……………………….........

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Somewhere along the manor, you hear the other accomplice's dying screams fading into the dark night…………… it is dark. Nothing can be seen beyond the light thrown from your handheld candle. You keep your grip on the knife, knowing that it wouldn't do much, but mostly for comfort.

An owl hoots softly. A night breeze blows. The night is still, as a puma that hunts in the dark of night, waiting, watching……you panic as you wonder: have your accomplices survived? Were they safe? And above all, what were those things? What's in store for you? These questions circle round your head, clouding your judgement. The night is too quiet after those two incidents………………………………………………………………….it's so quiet, you panic more. Tears cloud your eyes as you walk on, hoping that somehow, you could get away with the loot…………

A rustle of leaves. Floorboard creaks. And then, you run into………..silk?

You feel it in your hands. It is soft, yet strong. And it was also sticky, very sticky………………….. Then, you feel something……..wet, landing on your head. Very wisely, you touch the top of your head to analyse the stuff before you consider looking up. The stuff on your hand quickly hardens into something like silk, encasing your fingers together. Your suspicions confirmed, you tilt up your head with considerable dread to face the ceiling…………………………………………………………………………………and the ceiling stares back at you………

Hold it. Ceilings don't have eyes, your common sense says. You look closer and see eight legs, remarkably similar to a spider's, each and every one longer than three katanas joined end to end and anchoring the……thing to the ceiling. That does not shock much, considering that Hollows sometimes have eight legs too. However, the thing connecting the legs freaks you out. The legs are all attached to a woman's body, the solar plexus, directly between the breasts and above the navel. Even weirder was that not only was this…..monster wearing the Kuchiki uniform, it was staring at you with a freakish smile on its face, revealing rows of sharp teeth. The saliva from her mouth drips down, hardening into silk as you see it drip, drip, drip…….

You no longer hesitate. You run like hell through the hallway, and then jump into the first room with a light on, shouting: "This place is HAUNTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Ah, oops. You disturb a pair of lovebird servants currently caught in a compromising position unbefitting of the Kuchiki House. They stare at you angrily and shamefaced as you sigh with relief, even though you're probably caught, at the nice, normal sight. Then you reason it out that since these two aren't supposed to be together, they probably won't raise the alarm, and they'll show you the way out………………………………………………………

Yeah, that's it. And pigs will fly; there's no way that will happen. Most likely scenario, you get tied up while they raise the alarm, and the family's probably so grateful, they allow them to get married. Fortunately, the reputation of the Kuchiki Elders won't let that happen. Either way, you're safe.

OR SO YOU THINK……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....

Hey, is it you, or is the woman's hair moving? Yikes, it's alive!!!! The hair's coming for you!!!!!!!! Quickly you turn, but before you can lunge for the door, two things stop you.

One is the arms holding you down. From the thickness, you judge correctly that it belongs to the other guy, even though he sitting _three meters away_ from you and _hasn't moved_, according to your sight, hearing and the fact that the elbow joint can't be seen.

Two, is that now you face the shoji screen that you tore through to get to civilisation, or safety, or whatever. From the light still burning in the room, you can see through the small holes made by your fingers, and body, from when you walked into the screen in panic. The holes stare back at you.

Yes, the holes have _eyes_. All of a different colour, too far apart and misaligned for a normal person, too close together to be more than one. They scare you out so bad, you can't move even if you weren't held by super long arms.

Then as the woman hair curl round your neck and begins to tighten, you begin to see flashes of your life, regretting every single thing you've ever done…………………………………………………..scream out in defiance as you fight fruitlessly against the hair strangling you to within an inch of your life, everything goes black…………………………………………

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As Byakuya listened to the last screams fading into the black night, one thought occurred to him; he couldn't possibly expect to sleep again.

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_**These were an Ashiarai Yashiki (A big ghost foot that haunts houses) in the first one. A Nukekubi (a woman whose head and neck detaches at night) in the second. An Ashi-Naga (very long arm demon), Hari Onna (woman with living hair that turn into hooks) and Mokumoku Ren (a holey shoji screen with many eyes in the holes) in the third. Skip the next chapter if you read this part; it's exactly the same.**_


	21. Chapter 20: The NotSoScary Story

Monsters in Seireitei 20

_**This is the EXACT SAME as the previous chapter, only abridged for those who hate scary. The only difference is about a thousand words, give or take. Read on…. **_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Due to having healed two people in one day, Chiyuki was still asleep when nearly a full fourteen hours later, Byakuya made it home. Having to invent a story to account for his apparent stab, he was quickly saddled into the piles of paperwork that was foisted onto the Sixth Squad since Aizen's betrayal. Byakuya decided, next time he was going to roast all of it and let some other poor sap handle it.

The sun already setting, and dinner out of the way, Byakuya made his way to the Main room. Note the caps; the Main room was where the Elders held council. Not that anyone particularly cared about this meeting; it was more of a formal monthly update. Needless to say, he was slightly shocked-no, that'd be an understatement- when he saw Chiyuki, apparently sleeping five minutes ago, wide awake and, wearing another casual shihakusho, seated at the Lady's place. "I thought you were….."

"I'm awake, now. I'm perfectly fine."

And so she was, but then how was he supposed to know? The answer went like this: when anyone can sit through the extremely boring update, and even correct some information, for a whole two hours, you know they're fine.

And so, once the exceedingly boring meeting was over, even stoic Byakuya was ready to simply collapse into his futon; after all it was nearly midnight. Accustomed to navigating through the hallways of the manor, it took five minutes before Byakuya happily greeted his pillow and fell asleep…..

…until an hour later, where he was rudely awakened by thumping footsteps. Having always been a light, if not problematic sleeper, he was not really surprised that footsteps were waking him up. However, there lies the question: who was making the footsteps? Not the servants; all asleep. Not Chiyuki; the room she was in had a separate bathroom on its own. Rukia was in the real world, so that left only one possibility; thieves.

"Looks like we got company." A feminine voice issued from the relative darkness of his room. Chiyuki stepped out of the shadows, still wearing her shihakusho from before. Seating herself on the edge of his futon, she emotionlessly continued to observe him. "Oh well, thieves will learn the consequences of stealing from the Kuchikis."

"And how are they supposed to when no guards are out?" Byakuya asked, puzzled.

"Remember the 'security' O Jii Sama mentioned?" She asked innocently. It freaked him out a bit that anyone besides himself could still act innocent at that thought.

"I do not see how a few spirits can teach thieves a lesson…."

Right on cue, a loud piercing scream filled the night air, followed with about two minutes of unprintable obscenities, then screams of "Mommy, help me!!!!!!"

"…..remind me, where can I read up on these spirits?"

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Abridged:

Three thieves break in and meet the Kuchiki Manor's new Youkai guards.

One was crushed into pancake by an Ashiarai Yashiki.

Another met a Nukekubi and got his blood drained.

The last unlucky sap met a Jorogumo, ran, and ended up between an Ashi-Naga and a Mokumoku Ren, strangled by the hair of a Hari Onna.

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As Byakuya listened to the last screams fading into the black night, one thought occurred to him; he couldn't possibly expect to sleep again.


	22. Chapter 21: Aftermath and Continuation

Monsters in Seireitei 21

_**THIS is Chapter 21. Good luck, please review. **_

(Cont. from previous chapter)

As Byakuya listened to the last screams fading into the black night, one thought occurred to him; he couldn't possibly expect to sleep again.

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Unfortunately, when he voiced this out, it didn't seem to garner any sympathy.

"Ah, no problem, they'll be fine. You can sleep, no spirit of any sort can come in." she told him.

"Yes, but unfortunately, I am an insomniac. I cannot sleep most of the time, and your additional _security_ has shattered any desire on my part to sleep." He answered.

This shut her up as she thought long and hard, facing away from him, which gave the Kitsune pheromones a chance to work some magic on the nearest unsuspecting sentient being, which turned out to be the only other person in the room, meaning that Byakuya got the full blast of it.

He was doomed, period. But, as always, this was the Ice Prince we were talking about here, so maybe not so much. Okay, so he didn't get the sudden urge to pin her to the futon and rip all her clothes off. Then pull off something incredibly _acrobatic_ (ahem) to the point where I don't know where to describe it. _Yet._

When she finally faced him, it was with such a grim expression that he privately wondered if anyone was going to die.

"Er….how do you feel about…me giving you a massage?" She said slowly and nervously.

Not knowing what was there to be nervous about; he consented, privately wondering how good she was.

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He made a mental note, that when dawn broke, the first thing he will do straight after breakfast is check the definition of 'massage'. However foggy his memory was, he was pretty sure that it did not involve his body thrown onto the futon, or his legs kicked back so that he landed on his front.

However, he had to admit that it did help; he nearly fell asleep after only five minutes of it. Thankfully, Chiyuki did not start having some crazy idea like a fan girl. She kept her distance well and was rather invisible……_too invisible_.

He was rather shocked that he had realised that he didn't know her so well. She was an enigma; besides being a Kazumi, a noble, and that she was a Kitsune, to boot, he didn't really know that much about her. Her likes, dislikes, habits, characteristics, and so on. Normally, this shouldn't bother him, so why was he so concerned now?

Extremely disturbing; maybe he should visit the shrink again.

"Erm… Chiyuki Dono…"

"Chiyuki. Just that; the Dono makes me feel old." she said as she rubbed her hands down the length of his back.

"Fine, then. Chiyuki, why is it that no one outside must know of the existence of…"

"Spirits like me? I know, I get it. Imagine this; your next door neighbour can crush you as easily as they can crush a bug. Wouldn't you be nervous? We Youkai hold a lot of power, and not only that, but also exist primarily to cause fear. The normal reaction would be to destroy the cause, no?"

"I see. Weak spirits would definitely be jealous of this much power. So exactly what can you do?"

"How much do you know about Nii Sama's abilities?"

Good question; Kazumi Chiaki was another enigma. Much like Aizen, except that Aizen wasn't that much of a pervert, Byakuya wanted to say, but could not. "Not much at all, just that his Kidou abilities are exceptional." He could hear himself warming up to the hands rubbing his back. What was it that made these so comfortable?

"Mine aren't so exceptional, but I can hit something, so that's fine. As you already know, I can influence people to do what I ask by speaking their name. I can also summon people's memories. All I need is physical contact. Which reminds me…remember the Kurosaki kid?"

"What about Kurosaki Ichigo?" This was interesting. Maybe there were some benefits to this talent after all.

"He and Rukia had been going out for two months."

"What??!! That….brat. I will kill him for this."

"That's not the worst of it. His memories are all written in manga format."

"What does that mean?"

"Pictures."

Byakuya snorted from what he could move on the pillow. The mere mention that the Kurosaki brat's memories could be understood by all was too much to handle.

"Also….on second thought, perhaps not. I'll tell you more next time. Except that next time you see him, consider chopping his….well, you know, off."

"I'll take it that it's bad. Can you do anything else?"He asked, anxious to get his questions answered. What was with him?

"Well….. I can conjure fire and ice. Most can only conjure fire."

"There's nothing special about fire…." Byakuya mumbled as he turned his head right. A flame lit two inches away from the futon. "Okay, that's nice. You have some rather enviable abilities there."

"Thanks, though actually, I also envy you a bit." _Oh god, did I just say that?_

"Really?" Byakuya's voice held an interested tone.

Time to change the subject. "Say, did you ever consider falling in love again?"She asked, secretly hoping that he would freeze back into the Ice Prince. No such luck, though admittedly, it was a considerable improvement.

"Unfortunately no, I could not forget Hisana."

"You could still hold on to her memory and fall in love. Still, you're honest, I give that." _And hope-dashing. Did I just think that?_

"So, have _you_ ever fallen in love?" Byakuya asked.

He could tell that this was a really bad question; Chiyuki refused to answer it. She was completely silent. If this wasn't an indication, the freezing temperature was.

"What? Was it something I said? Chiyuki…"

Chiyuki stepped out of the room, into the night garden.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

He didn't see her at breakfast. Neither in her room, nor in the garden, or anywhere else in the manor.

Then, as he was wishing for an information source to turn up there and tell him what was going on with Chiyuki, said information turned up. Kazumi Chiaki stood in his office, dressed in another practice uniform.

"Sempai, please put your glasses back on. Others will wonder why there are two of me here."

Now, Chiaki looks a lot like Byakuya with glasses, except that when he's wearing glasses, it makes him look a whole lot different.

"Now, now, I had this precognition that Byak-ko needed some more answers to the pickle he apparently landed himself in." Chiaki complained as he donned the glasses. Byakuya was secretly glad that Renji wasn't here; he would never hear the end of it. "So I tagged along with O Jii Sama to the meeting he's holding with Yamamoto considering an alliance. There's no way we'll ally; no offense, but we always remain neutral unless to deal with direct aggressors. Either way that's not the point; spill."

Byakuya told the approximately one-century-and-decade older Chiaki about his problem. He received a laughing fit.

"Kid, let me tell you a story; the reason why we can't let Chiyuki become a Shinigami is due to her unstable powers. She can control fire and ice, okay?"

Nod.

"So, these two conflicting energies play havoc with her reiatsu, making it incredibly unstable, yet powerful. Most of the time, the ice wins, hence we call her a Snow Fox.

So, anyway, when she was younger, she fell in love……..he was a great guy……they kissed…"

Irrationally, Byakuya felt a sudden desire to murder the sap.

"….Her reiatsu fluctuated…….the ice became unstable, and she froze the guy. Being the young and impressionable kid she was that time, she freaked. When we thawed him out, they broke up."

Ouch. That must hurt, seeing your loved one frozen by none other than yourself. Byakuya could somewhat understand.

"Anyway, you might want to visit the Eleventh Squad barracks now. I got some….business to take care of." Chiaki added, daydreaming.

"Why?" Byakuya asked, suspiciously.

"She's there training now."

And without another word, the two went on their separate business.


	23. Chapter 22:Meet the GrandMother

Monsters in Seireitei 22

Chiaki walked in a minute later, and dropped a package on the desk, THEN left to pull O Jii Sama away from O Baa Sama.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In the SouTaichou's office, no idiot dares to step in at this very moment.

Those looking at the door of the office will see a normal door. Without a lick of spirit power, that is. Those with enough to even feel anything were all crushed by the reiatsu emanating from the other side of the door. Even the least proficient Shinigami could feel the rise in temperature, and smell the burning papers.

Even though both parties had only exchanged a few words, the tension was undeniably high, as Yamamoto met the stare of the two other occupants in it.

Yamamoto was sitting at his desk. Seated across him was Kazumi Ryuuhito. To Ryuuhito's left sat another woman. Actually, seated was the wrong word; draped was a more accurate description. This woman had a heart –shaped face with a widow's peak. Long silver hair, tied up in a high bun, framed her face, emphasising the sharp nose, the pretty full lips, and the ice-blue eyes. Though she looked barely of age, no idiot dares to assume that Kazumi Kokoro was a second wife, or mistress or anything like it. The petite woman, dressed now in a formal royal blue kimono, was as old as Yamamoto, and had once thrown Yamamoto out on his ass with only a broom, a slipper and some sexual frustration. Don't ask; the two hadn't gotten together in a long time, do the math.

The three had congregated in order to decide on a course of action. As Regent and Enforcer, the Youkai could not be involved against their will. This was a major setback to the Gotei Juusantai's current lack of manpower. Thankfully, a handful could be involved, but not in direct war, as the Covenant of Kings so stated. Now, to the third problem; deciding the extent meant stepping into enemy territory, giving the enemy a chance to persuade them to go over.

"You are not serious about going to Hueco Mundo, Ryuu." Yamamoto said. "You'll be torn into a million pieces."

"By what??" The muleheaded insane person had answered. "I took down a Vasto Lorde, what's going to do it? No one in their right mind would go after Kokoro either."

_That was true_, Yamamoto thought. No one was stupid, insane or suicidal enough to attack her. This woman was just as insane and powerful as Ryuuhito, or that was what the Spirit King stated as a reason to retire the two. His panic when she got stiletto heels (real stilettos, not just a blunt end) to boot him out was proof. "How are you going there? The Gargantua is not stable to allow you two in."

"Sure the Senkaimon is not, neither is the Gargantua…" Kokoro said, speaking for the first time since the start. Yamamoto was truly afraid for anyone on the receiving end. "But you forget what we can do. Anyway, I'm here to have a very good look at the new grandson-in-law, Chiaki will go." She smiled; a nice ladylike smile with a knife hidden in it.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Meanwhile, Ikkaku was currently facing off against a girl in staff fighting.

The entire Squad was rather surprised when the noble wife of Kuchiki Byakuya turned up at their barracks, asking for an opponent. Needless to say, they accepted. Ikkaku had thought that the princess, as he'd termed all noble ladies, would be weaker and use some sort of taught skill that could be easily crushed.

So, he was rather surprised when he was beaten by a five-foot-four lady wielding a staff. He, the greatest staff expert in Seireitei, was now being swept around the compound.

"Hey, I thought you were a noble? You aren't even a Shinigami!"He shouted in a desperate bid to salvage his ribs.

"I thought you said no-holds-barred, short of death?" Chiyuki asked innocently, sweeping Ikkaku to his feet only to strike with the end of her stick into the solar plexus. "What do you have to complain about? I'm sure you are familiar with this style?"

She was right; the style of staff fighting was known and learnt on the streets of Rukongai District 70 to 80. Street staff fighting; not the usual palate of the high nobles. Then again, she made it look more like an art form. Maybe that was the explanation. Now, to come up with the explanation of why every guy looked like a hungry wolf, except Yumichika.

Anyway, Byakuya turned up at the exact moment she finished him off.

"Dammit, you're good." Ikkaku said as he got up. "Ne, Taichou, now if we had some recruits like that, the Eleventh Squad would really be strong."

"Really? Lemme try." Zaraki replied, getting up. Judging from the reiatsu gathering, he was really serious. "Hey, woman!! Get ready!!"

So, Byakuya watched as she blocked Kenpachi's attacks. One, two, three, kick, evade right, whack the vulnerable torso, jump back and hit left low. Kenpachi received two hits on the side before he swung his sword down….

….and it was blocked by Byakuya.

"Kenpachi, I would appreciate it if no one is murdered here, especially one with my house." Byakuya said, not backing down.

"Ne, Kuchiki, does this mean you're fighting? Good, I'll miss the girl to face you any day." Kenpachi told him, still madly grinning.

"No, I will not demean myself to such low standards." So saying this, he took her hand. "Chiyuki, come with me." So saying, he dragged her out of the dojo towards the Sixth barracks.

"Hey! Let go! I just started!" Chiyuki yelled, pulling her hand free.

"You will get killed if you stay there. Couldn't you find another person to practice with??" _Maybe someone, oh say, not glassy-eyed? _

"What about it? I told you, I don't need you to care about me. Those were the terms I told you, didn't I... O Baa Sama?"

So, Byakuya did not notice when he bumped into another person. When he looked down, he saw a silver-haired teenager in formal dress, her blue eyes glaring at him. In her hands glowed a ball, which suspiciously looked like a Kidou spell.

The spell faded as she got up. "Well, well. Looks like my granddaughter caught a nice fish." The girl said, waggling her eyebrows at Chiyuki.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Byakuya couldn't believe his ears. "Granddaughter?"

"That's my granddaughter's hand you're holding there, kid. You two may be married, but that does not give you any rights over her." The silver-haired teen answered him.

He looked at Chiyuki. "Your grandmother is her?" The girl looked barely old enough to buy beer. Chiyuki looked mature next to her.

"Yes, my mother's mother. No, contrary to first impressions, that is my maternal grandmother. And you can stop the stupefied look until we get to wherever you drag me."

(SFX: Arrow pointing to Granddaughter. Arrow to Grandmother. Background: Grandma looks younger.)

"Huh. Anyway come on." So saying, he dragged her all the way to the Sixth office, Kokoro following, smiling with one sleeve covering her mouth.

Nearby, the Eleventh Squad was wondering why the sky had gone dark.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_**Haha!!! The grandma actually looks younger!!!Bet you were all thinking wtf, what kind of warped universe is this or something like it……=)**_


	24. Chapter 23:Break Into Las Noches,The Two

Monsters in Seireitei 23

_**Once again thank you for reading. Now, we see what happens when two Kitsune rip apart a portal and land in Hueco Mundo….smack in the middle of Las Noches.**_

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"O Jii Sama…..I do not think you need so many weapons." Chiaki said nervously.

The grandson and the old man were at the Kazumi Manor, after dodging walls, dead ends, and one particularly irksome Kurotsuchi Mayuri with a syringe containing unknown contents of a nature too repulsive to know, gearing up for a possible break-in into Arrancar. Kazumi Ryuuhito went a bit crazy; he decided to take every katana he could carry.

"What? Just in case my Zanpakutou fails or decides to get pissy….oh all right." Ryuuhito grumbled and put down the ten other katana he'd opted to bring. Imagine if he had more arms…

"Hime, can you get into your sword form?" Chiaki called to Kurohime, his Zanpakutou and wife. (I have not actually checked the actual feasibility, and there are no documents pertaining of marriage to weapons, but since Zanpakutous are defined as souls, let's assume that it's okay.) Kurohime nodded, transforming into a beautiful curved one-sided katana, about a foot in length. The black hilt stuck out when attached to the small round cross guard. On the blade, hilt, and even the cross guard ran a pattern of roses, stained black.

"Let's go." Ryuuhito said, strapping on a sword with a red scabbard. Everything about that particular sword was red, down to the square cross guard. The only thing not red was the extremely shiny blade, with wave patterns running the entire length of it. "Rip me a hole, kid."

"Hai." So saying, Chiaki extended both hands into thin air, and then slowly moved them apart. The fabric of reality separating the two worlds parted easily like a giant paper tear, coloured inky black on the other side. Then, once the tear was large enough, the two Kitsune jumped into it….

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"You idiot!!!!!!!!!" Ryuuhito roared as he punched his grandson on the head.

"What, I got us to Las Noches, right?" Chiaki asked, rubbing his aching scalp. Kurohime snickered, earning the sword a reproving glare from its wielder.

"When I said Las Noches, I mean the entrance, not smack in the middle of the castle!!!!!!!" Ryuuhito, despite a few thousand years of nobility training, was never very good at keeping his cool, or manners. This was great in the Eleventh Squad, not so much for diplomacy, especially the Noble sort. He considered Life too short to be polite all the time, and he was insane. Or that was what Unohana and all the Royal doctors declared. In fact, the only reason he was not in the loony bin now was a) nobility, and b) reparation fees, plus c) not actually within Shinigami reason. Therefore, Byakuya was pretty much made to walk up the aisle on this case.

So, anyway, guess where they landed???

Right on the table in the Arrancar meeting room, within slashing distance of Aizen himself, and within grabbing distance of Gin, Tousen, and the top three Espada, the only occupants present.

Gin, Stark and Halibel were all shocked. Barragan looked…displeased and especially pissed. Tousen had no reaction, being blind and all.

"Well, what do we have here?" Aizen said smoothly, as if two Shinigami had not just landed in a nest of Arrancar. "Two of the Kazumi family, right where they are outnumbered. I presume that Yamamoto sent you here?"

"No, came of my own free will, and as to why, it's because the last King here knows me from a few hundred years ago." Ryuuhito answered.

"Barragan, what is your connection to this Shinigami?" Aizen asked the Segunda Espada.

"Shinigami?? Goodness, is that what you do now???The idea is ridiculous!!!" Barragan laughed. His chuckle sent a drain down the nearby Fraccions' faces. "The day you can take orders is when the end of all three worlds comes!! He's a freaking Nine-Tailed Fox!!!"

"I appreciate the fox analogy, but nine-tailed?" Gin asked, his eyebrows shooting up without actually opening his eyes, a neat trick.

Right on cue, five pairs of eyes (Tousen was blind) went to the nine waving plumes of red fur behind Ryuuhito's back, which seem to have spontaneously poked out..

"O Jii Sama, your tails…" Here Chiaki wisely decided to shut up.

"Whatever, a few hundred years fighting in the Gotei with my tails gone leaves my back unprotected."

"Oh? A real Nine-Tail Fox. From what I can gather, your kind is powerful, right?" Aizen asked, recovering quickly. "Tell me, Barragan, why does a powerful being such as this Fox come here?"

"Aizen Sama, it means that there are two distinct possibilities in the future, resulting in a huge shift which directly affects them and others like them. One of your victories, another of your defeat."

The last word echoed throughout the hall as everyone contemplated the awful outcome. Even Aizen looked rather disturbed.

Tousen was one of the first to recover. "Show proof of your ability, whoever you are."

"I see, you do not believe my esteemed _friend_ here." Ryuuhito said mockingly. "Your name is Tousen Kaname, former Captain of the Ninth Squad. You are also secretly attempting to hack the police database and go on a worldwide crusade for criminals everywhere. You secretly think you're Nemesis. You have echo phobia. The underwear you're wearing today is currently…….nil. Bit drafty today, eh?"

A gasp escaped Tousen Kaname. Every other person there was trying not to laugh outright, barely constraining their giggles.

"Amusing. Then again, is there anything else you can share?" Aizen asked, smiling serenely.

"No, how about I just beat you up?" Ryuuhito countered.

Right on cue, a slash appeared on his chest, blood spurting profusely. Not far away, Gin had moved, shooting Shinso towards Chiaki, who barely blocked it. The pair moved to the right side of the room, away from the other pair, partly for respect, mostly to go all out.

"Unfortunately, I do not care to be 'beaten up', as you say." Aizen said, sheathing Kyoka Suigetsu as he looked down contemptuously on the body. 'You were not very powerful after all."

"You, on the other hand, suck." Ryuuhito hissed as he appeared behind Aizen unscathed, jabbing his Zanpakutou into the small of Aizen's back. Judging from the gasp, Aizen was not prepared for that. "Kid, let me tell you; I am a Nine Tailed Fox. Like the legends say, I cast illusions for my bread and butter. In fact, any Kitsune worth their salt can pull your dumb, not to mention ridiculous hypnosis trick off, plus more convincingly too. Illusions tend to work less on those who cast them, so you can give up." As he spoke, a being materialised in the room. Yamamoto stood close to Aizen, smiling serenely as it pointed a sword a Aizen's neck, blood trickling down from where it breached the neck arteries. Meanwhile, ninjas in special-forces black faded in, _tanto_s drawn to kill around all the Espada present. "And unlike you, I can use illusions to kill. In other words, my illusions can pass as reality itself sometimes."

Then Tousen shunpo'ed quickly, materialising close to where Ryuuhito's voice sounded, sword drawn to where the neck supposedly was. "Move and I'll kill you." he said.

"My dear," Ryuuhito's voice resounded behind the sword he held at Tousen's throat. "I can do auditory illusions too. And, it is _you_ holding a sword to Aizen San's neck."

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Shinigami Golden Cup!**

Meanwhile, what were the two former Captains of the Third Squad doing? A tea party. Complete with sweets, in the middle of Las Noches.

"So nice for you to bring sweets, especially dango." Ichimaru Gin said as he handed his companion a cup of tea.

"Why, thank you. Kurohime made it especially for this visit." Chiaki answered, accepting the cup.

"Ah yes. How is the Hime Sama?" Gin deigned to ask politely. "I hope she is not infuriated by the tricks I pulled the first time we met. I was not sure of her preference in underwear though..."

"It is no problem; she got her revenge." Chiaki replied, smiling the Cheshire Special as Gin bit into it, chewed, and then began to choke.

'Oi, you two are supposed to be fighting, not drinking tea!!!" The three Espada yelled, a la One Piece.


	25. Chapter 24: Continued from previous

Monsters in Seireitei 24

_**Continued from previous…**_

"Tousen, he's right; your sword is at my neck." Aizen was quavering, probably because Suzumebachi was so close to his Adam's apple, it could slice the thing to shreds. Add the surprise felt at someone breaking through the 'Perfect Hypnosis' and that someone could match Ichimaru Gin in sword speed, and a very surprising voice is obtained. It would be so surprising, that the _seiyu_ will have a sore throat for the next week just trying to get the pitch.

And the tableau looks like this: Ryuuhito, all nine reddish-brown tails waving behind him, leisurely sticking the point of a katana to the back of Tousen's neck, while Tousen himself held the blade to Aizen's throat. The three Espada present were stuck to the chairs by the illusionary ninjas, but the blades felt real anyway. By the side, the two ex-Captains fought, swords clanging, breaking the otherwise oppressive silence in the hall.

This continued for about ten seconds that felt like eternity. Then, the tableau broke as the ninjas vanished in a puff of smoke, Ryuuhito shunpo'ed off, and Tousen jumped back. Seconds later, by dint of a feint, Chiaki disappeared, reappearing by his grandfather's side on the other end. The two tore open a portal and jumped in, the tear sealing itself so that none could follow.

As Aizen collapsed into his throne at the head of the room, a note fluttered down from the ceiling. As he picked it up to read, his hands were shaking at Ryuuhito's scrawl:

_Attack us, we crush you. Don't try to involve us, or we will mobilise. _

_Congrats, you passed. We will remain neutral. By agreement, my kind and others like us that know about this will not interfere in your quest to the throne. Ichimaru Gin may have some Fox blood, but not enough that his part be compromised; therefore we will declare him not of us. However, should there be an attack on our kind; we will mercilessly place Las Noches in a bloodbath of your kind. That is our word; we will keep it._

_Regent of Tori Yama*,_

_Hyakki*._

Weirder still were the ghostly laughs that came faintly around the hall; a 'kon, kon', reminiscent of a fox's bark…

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Back at Seireitei, Byakuya frowned slightly, studying Kazumi Kokoro and Chiyuki in the relative safety of his office.

Unbelievably, Kokoro was a full inch shorter than her granddaughter. She was also silver-haired, which stood out compared to Chiyuki's ebony locks. The facial structure was rather similar, except that Chiyuki's eyes were bigger, yet Kokoro's eyes had a timeless look about it. If Chiyuki was beautiful in a classical sense, Kokoro was a Japanese Helen. Of course, that was not to say that the two were outshining each other; they both had a presence that commandeered fear all the same.

The Sixth Squad members took the brunt of the fear; if anyone had the bad luck to meet their eyes, spontaneous urination took place. Odd and disrespectful, but the two women were too scary for the Squad to care. The person serving tea did it quickly, then scarpered so fast, Byakuya almost considered sending the sucker to advanced Shunpo classes to nurture such talent.

Seated there, the two glared at him. Seated on the right was Chiyuki, staring daggers of lightning; on the left, Kokoro merely…studying him?

"Good afternoon, Kokoro Sama." Byakuya greeted the grand dame respectfully. Despite almost never showing her face, Kazumi Kokoro was renowned for various reasons, namely an illustrious career in the Gotei Juusantai in the First Squad, then proceeding to marry her cousin and for her offspring's eventual death a hundred and ten years ago. Still, the twenty-sixth Lady Kazumi was holding pretty well, despite having endured life for over three thousand years old. Now, to figure out how she could stay so young…

"Good afternoon to you too, Byakuya Dono." The Lady agreed. "It has been a long time since we last met."

"Agreed, though it could be this is the first time we have met." Byakuya answered.

"Sharp. Yuki, looks like this time it's a good match, right?" Kokoro asked her granddaughter, eyebrows waggling. She was smiling so childishly that for a moment, Byakuya was tempted to ask if Kokoro had somehow been switched. Considering the little he knew about the Kazumi House, it could be true, except that this Kokoro had a magnetic presence he had heard Ginrei Jii Sama go on about for hours on end.

"O baa Sama, I do not think a marriage arranged between nobles is a good match, as you say." Chiyuki answered, blushing. This was a new emotion.

"True, but you refuse to even accept a formal courtship after that time." Kokoro chided, releasing reiatsu into the office. Byakuya knew that time referred to being frozen, except that he was currently trying to avoid caving in to the reiatsu. So strong it was, he could understand Yamamoto's words.

Thankfully, he was saved by his lieutenant walking in with a package. "Oh Kuchiki Taichou, I was walking throughout the entire Seireitei looking for you. Here."

Dropping a glance at the 'silver-haired teen' Renji was about to comment something when the 'teen' threw a glare at him. Realising his place, Renji rushed to his desk, where a nice safe block of wood cut him off from the scary teenager.

Byakuya opened the package, peered in, and his face emerged stony-faced. 'Ah, yes, Kokoro Sama, your grandson has quite a sense of humour."Note the irony.

Still stony faced, he emptied the box onto the table. About ten meters of leather belt, with silver buckle attached and holes drilled, plus a length of silver chain and rope, both with sigils written in archaic characters too messy to read, tumbled out onto the desk. A note fluttered out, landing on the table for all to see:

_Dear Byakko_

_Should Chiyuki begin to try-_

Here Kokoro had the good sense to slam her hand down on the note, obscuring its contents.

"Yuki dear, why don't you get on with your training? I need a private word with Byakuya Dono here." She said, the casual voice masking a note of fury.

Chiyuki ran out, no doubt mostly in fear, but partly to get back to training. This meant the Eleventh Squad… Irrationally, Byakuya was fantasizing about destroying the barracks….except that Kokoro's reiatsu was keeping him in his chair…

"Come on, read the rest of the note." Kokoro snapped, holding it out, which read:

_Dear Byakko_

_Should Chiyuki begin to try jumping you, use this. Kidou is pretty useless, and nothing short of these chains could hold her down. Should she attempt to run as well, same thing. Then….DO WHATEVER YOU WANT….V~_

_P.S. should you attempt to throw this away, I will send two more to your house every day._

"Cute." She said, reiatsu radiating in buckets. Then, she turned nice again. "Now, on to business. Thank you for keeping our family secret quiet, Byakuya Dono."

"No trouble. Could you release me now?"

"Yes, after one question: where is the Fourth barracks?"

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_**Tori Yama; meaning 'Bird Mountain', the place where most of Soul Society's Youkai live, hidden from the other inhabitants.**_

_**Hyakki: meaning 'hundred demons', indicative that the council that runs Tori Yama is at least a hundred strong.**_


	26. Chapter 25:CrazyWeirdLust

_**Sorry I took longer than usual…starting from this chapter onwards, I will begin posting profiles of the OCs I'm introducing. Hope they're okay; it's my first one.**_

_**

* * *

**_

Today was a first for the Sixth Division Captain. Today he met the grandmother-in-law. Today he got intimidated and shocked by said old lady. Furthermore, the old lady looked barely legal, a feat that sometimes left him wondering not only how she achieved that, plus what Kyoraku would do, then the icy reiatsu reminded him that he was currently on slightly dangerous ground here; after all, the Kazumi House had kept their secret for about five centuries already, and most surely not by bribery.

Still, as the two walked towards the Fourth barracks, he was somewhat pleased to see Chiyuki run _away _from the Eleventh barracks, towards the general direction of the manor, for reasons as yet unknown. Then, an epiphany struck him when he realised what he was being happy about. _She's not staying. She's not my type. She… _

Never underestimate a spirit's capacity for denial.

"You're confused, Byakuya Dono." Kokoro said as they walked on. "No, I do not have eyes on the back of my head, neither am I psychic. To use better terminology, I am empathic." she added as he wondered if somehow, he was standing next to a psychic.

Byakuya just felt more confused, which did not show as usual.

"I can read the hearts of souls. Hollows too, or any emotion their black, twisted hearts may manage. The ability runs in our family."

"Like her book." Byakuya said tonelessly, thinking about the numerous times he could have conveniently 'forgot' and why now he was still remembering.

"Correct, although really, there variances to that ability. You are thinking no doubt about a game of Cho Han, am I correct? Chiaki has no control over his reading, truly."

It occurred to Byakuya that the word 'reading' should come with a capital, but he did not voice this, wondering instead to said game, where everyone had lost their shirts to the teacher.

"Very well, we are here." Kokoro stated tonelessly as they reached the barracks. On cue, a crack sounded in the distance. "I believe some private business is in order. You should go back now; the Kuchiki servants have found two unlucky victims of the guards."

She winked at his stupefied expression. "Byakuya Dono, three men screaming in the middle of a Seireitei night is very noticeable, and I have ears everywhere." She said, smiling secretively as she walked into the barracks, Byakuya walking away. Every Shinigami quieted as she walked past.

* * *

Kokoro sat beside the futon in the dark room. In the futon lay a single girl, looking not beyond fifteen. The girl's straight hair was cut short, except for the blue cloth bun tied behind her head. Hinamori Momo slept, unknowing of the new visitor. She was lucky; the room temperature had dropped so low, even the flowers were in danger of permafrost. Besides Kokoro stood Unohana, trying not to notice the freezing reiatsu, and succeeding somehow. "Is Hinamori San…?"

"Shock, probably delusional feelings, sorrow, plus anger, and probably confusion added up. Aizen is good at mental torture; I give him that. In fact, I can't promise anything. Hinamori needs counselling, but not with me. Unohana Taichou, perhaps…"

"No. Kokoro Sama, Lieutenant Hinamori's state of mind is too delicate, and not even the best psychologists in the Fourth can do anything. Kokoro Sama, surely you can do this; I have seen the miracles you carried out. If we could do anything, did you think I would have asked this boon of you?" Unohana pleaded.

"Retsu." Kokoro replied firmly.

"Yes?"

"Out."

As Unohana walked out, she breathed a sigh of relief; Hinamori was in good hands.

Still, the reassurance did not stop the reiatsu level from hiking. Unohana could feel _feelings_, the pent-up feelings Hinamori had held inside her heart. Staggering under the weight it was mentally exerting, Unohana made it out of the hallway. Stopping only when it lessened, the Fourth captain waited outside.

* * *

Kokoro was staring at the black mist covering Hinamori's immediate face and chest, wondering why she was doing this.

She knew the reason immediately; no soul in need could ever escape her. It was one of the more frustrating things that nearly screwed up her career when the 'soul in need' tried to lead a rebellion. Then again, it could just be the tortured feelings the Tenth barracks gave off, so thick it was that only in Rukongai could it be escaped.

Either way, untangling this was never easy.

Reaching into the black mist, she made a motion of grabbing something and pulled. Black separated into dark blue and deep crimson mist. The red mist combusted in her hand, causing her to flinch in pain. Grey smoke spiralled around, screaming ghostly words no one could discern.

Kokoro sighed; this was never good. She'd be lucky to stay sane if Hinamori pulled through. The healer, not the lieutenant.

* * *

A full hour later, Kokoro emerged ashen-faced, nodding as Unohana rushed in.

'I'm coming again tomorrow. Until then, Hinamori must remain bound, got it?" Kokoro ordered.

Unohana nodded, hardly daring to believe what she was seeing. "Er, Kokoro Sama, I didn't know you had experience in Shibari*."

"It's nothing." Kokoro acknowledged. "I have a lot of practice."

As Unohana saw the old lady (teenage old lady?) out, she could not help but feel envious that even the elderly were more sexually active than her.

Turning to Hinamori, she decided to add extra blankets later, and to get a female nurse on it.

* * *

_One hour before…_

Byakuya found out the reason for her return. And he understood.

The three burglars actually turned out fine, but scared. The three were found in a room not far from the private rooms, but padded and rarely entered, begging to get out of the manor. Surprisingly contrary to most, who wanted to be _in_ the manor, these three wanted _out_? And they were so desperate that they were begging to be killed. Then again, considering how many screams there were last night, they were possibly lucky.

So, now, the three were slamming their foreheads to the tatami, begging to be killed, while the Elders awkwardly watched. Now that was a scene he would dredge up someday and have a quiet chuckle when he had a private moment.

Chiyuki sat on the cushion impassively, staring out into space. Oddly enough, she made no movement other than to acknowledge his presence. After all, it wasn't everyday a burglar turned himself in to be killed; he really needed a word with 'security'.

"Throw them into prison." Byakuya ordered. The servants moved in, dragging out the thieves no thanking whichever god out there for getting them into prison. He resolved to have a word with security soon.

* * *

Night fell; the Lord Kuchiki did not fall to sleep.

Instead, the Lord was face down in his futon, trying to doze off. His pride did not allow him to ask for a massage, though really, he could feel that she also had trouble sleeping; the difference in temperature was that obvious; it was cool autumn night, and then it was cold midwinter.

So, he was left to ponder the words of a teenage old lady (?) who was as much an enigma as her granddaughter:

_The ability runs in our family…_

_Chiaki has no control over his reading, truly…_

Which meant something good; that guy was strong enough without reading something. Still, this meant that the girl he forcibly married was…special.

Then, his thoughts took a forty-five degree turn as he pondered the choice the Kazumi House made. _Was it really wise,_ he thought, _to entrust her this? She is considered an old maid already; she should have married earlier. Why? _

He already knew that answer: the family was considered mad, and some madness ran in the family. Furthermore, that family kept to itself, hardly ever out into public life, and even in the history books, that family never accepted marriage as a business proposal. Any public life was spent in Rukongai.

Hold on. Rukongai? Such an odd choice to mingle...and is it getting colder?

The screen slid open, so quietly that it actually seemed scarier than usual. Byakuya turned to look at the intruder. What he saw left him stunned:

Chiyuki was standing in the doorway, sliding the screen closed with her toe. Her hair was white now, eyes sparkling silver grey. Dressed in a loose yukata, the end fluttered open slightly, giving an extraordinary glimpse of shapely legs, and hugging a figure that could only be crafted by the Gods, so beautiful. The mist curling about her toes only deepened the impression that it was a dream.

It was a _dream_, right? That's what he thought. _Too many nights alone_. Except that he had heard that lonely nights did not result in temperature hallucinations.

Such a beautiful dream. Except that it was real. That much was obvious as she approached him.

The illusion shattered as she rubbed his back with her hands, so cold, like ice, yet soothing. Yet, the extreme cold unsettled him. Why was she so cold? Even the nights now were relatively cool, so why was it cold? The silent ice maiden continued to run her hands on his back, now throwing a leg around him so that she straddled his back. Still rubbing, she appeared not to notice as her yukata came looser…

Okay. That was disconcerting. He rolled, Chiyuki tumbling off immediately, and got up. Then, he reached in to the closet and got out the chains immediately. Within a few minutes, she was trussed up, the rope restraining her entire body and rendering her helpless. The cold died down, and it became less like midwinter now.

Counting to three, Byakuya waited for ten seconds, then threw open the door, revealing an unexpected but nevertheless welcome visitor that had just turned up outside his room door.

Kazumi Chiaki smiled at him, raising his eyebrows at the rope. "Shibari, Byakuya?"

* * *

_**Shibari is Japanese erotic bondage. Sort of like: tie up your partner artistically. **_

_**Profile**_

_**Subject: Kazumi Ryuuhito **_和美竜人

_**Model: Zorro, from One Piece.**_

_**Gender: Male.**_

_**Species: Fox, Kitsune ('bout the same)**_

_**Condition: Insanity brought on by long-term battle fever. No, I'm not joking.  
**_

_**Height: 6'2"**_

_**Weight: Unknown**_

_**Age: Over 3000 (stopped counting around 2563)**_

_**Birthday: Unknown (c. before Gregorian calendar)**_

_**Occupation: 26**__**th**__** head of Kazumi House, Retired Shinigami, Husband.**_

_**Back story: About as old as Yamamoto, Ryuuhito's family has been in Soul Society since the start of time. Therefore, they can be considered citizens of Soul Society, unlike most Youkai which came over from the human world. After serving eight hundred years in the Gotei, he was promoted to the Royal Guard, but left soon after due to claims of insanity. **_

_**His actions are doubtfully insane, but there are some periods where he can pass as sane.**_

_**Kazumi is normally used as a given name, but his family adapted it as in Chinese, it means literally 'with beauty' and they were 'artists which brought beauty to the King's otherwise drab life'.**_


	27. Chapter 26: Shibari Sucks

_**Please review!!! I need to improve!!! Help by reviewing. I don't know what's wrong!!**_

* * *

"Sempai, glad you came…you're not going to be very useful with eyes closed." Byakuya said. Somehow he should be glad that he had switched to first name basis, but the sinking feeling of hypnosis was not one he cared to repeat. What was worse was that his Sempai forgot his glasses, which meant a little confusion when talking to your older doppelganger. It did not help that his mirror image did not have any qualms about stupidity (though in all fairness, the definition was thrown out of the window).

Chiaki had held his sleeve in front of his face, obscuring his vision. "Kid, that's my sister there, tied up in an erotic pose and in a super loose yukata that's barely holding together. I am not a pervert that looks at his sister's body, good, you get it. You are currently her husband, please close it. While you're at it, try the gag; I do not need the erotic noise pollution, and I can get my own."

Byakuya could see why; even from a distance, her mouth was so tempting that he had to quickly pull the yukata closed or suffer a nosebleed. There was the third option, but that was shot down quickly on the grounds that there wasn't any love between them…was it? Either way, the third option was best _without_ an audience that actually might support him (as all idiot sempais were wont to do) and decide not to stop him. Still, as he inserted the gag, it did not explain the heat that washed through him when her tongue inadvertedly brushed his thumb.

She sat there, the sigils written glowing silver in the dark as she struggled unsuccessfully (and erotically, but I don't need to fuel you romantics' imaginations) against them. Chiaki caught Byakuya by the collar, dragged him out, and began to talk.

"I bet you want to know why Chiyuki just tried to jump you."

Byakuya nodded; he wasn't in the mood to talk.

"Erm, well, this is a difficult time for her. It's going to be her two hundredth birthday soon, and her power is maturing. The maturing power is causing something similar to adolescence, except that instead of over the years, it's taking place at a very fast rate, in six months, causing a hormonal imbalance which causes…that." Chiaki concluded. "Well, my work here is done. Perhaps you might consider sleeping now…"With a two-fingered salute, he walked off, fading in the distance.

"Sempai, how am I to sleep when…" Byakuya asked.

"My dear boy, live with it, you ice block." And he faded into the night, leaving a slightly confused Byakuya out there. _Ice block?_

* * *

_I really can't do this, _Byakuya thought for the fifth time this night, staring at the silver pinpricks.

Falling asleep should be easier without the fluctuating temperature, but doing it when a beautiful girl in the same room on the verge of (I don't know what it's called, but it's something to do with blushing and orgasm), it's just plain impossible. When it's a perfectly normal man, forget about sleeping. And let's all remember that no matter what Kuchiki Byakuya is; he still has emotions, as he has proven.

This now goes a long way to explain the prickling conscience warring with reason in his head. On one side is the conscience screaming: _You can't leave an innocent girl tied up at night!! _And on the other hand is reason: _Something will definitely happen and it's probably safer to leave her…_

Irritation ensues. Byakuya, just wanting it to stop, decided to go with the third option: He took the gag out.

As he took the gag, her lips followed his fingers, attempting to lick them without moving too far (dear me, looks like I'm going to have to reconsider the rating). He noticed that her silver eyes were fixed onto him, silently watching him, lips closed. Even so, that hypnotising stare entranced him, forcing his control. The girl had not even moved at all, yet her very eyes seduced him where he kneeled, tempting him silently.

She finally recovered her voice soon, but the whisper that came out of Chiyuki's throat was not the slightly panicked tone, but a harder, harsher and yet more mesmerizing, musically beautiful voice:

白黒赤いの結ばれる、  
暗闇の織機のライトの編まれる。  
それが暗いところで、ライトは照る.  
それはあなたが思い出させる私の謎である。

_Shirokuro akai no musuba reru,  
Kurayami no shokki no raito no ama reru.  
Sorega kurai tokorode, raito ha teru.  
Sorehaanataga omoidasa seru,  
watashi no nazo dearu._

As the end echoed throughout the room, Byakuya found himself on all fours, over Chiyuki, who was smiling crazily (imagine simpering evilly). "**Byakuya Sama…**" she breathed out in that voice, causing his instincts to overload. "**Byakuya Sama, come to me…**"

Once upon a happier time he could have blown this off; now, he had no idea…

* * *

_**This is the original poem, written in original English.**_

_Tied of red, black and white.  
Weaved of light, in the Loom of dark.  
Where it is dark, the light will shine.  
That is my riddle, which you remind._

_**And now on to Profiles.**_

_**Name: Kazumi Chiaki **__**和 美 智 昭**_

_**Model: Komui Lee, D. Gray Man, plus Kuchiki Byakuya, Bleach (obvious much!)**_

_**Gender: Male**_

_**Species: Kitsune (later on, shown as a Black Kitsune)**_

_**Condition: Lolicon complex, sister complex, can be classified as paedophilia. may also be considered insane by Soul Society standards, but Unohana and the Fourth squad are unable to decided on this, seeing as Kurotsuchi is mad as well, but Chiaki is saner on comparison…**_

_**Height: 5'11"**_

_**Eyes: brown, appears black.**_

_**Age: 352 years. (Counting)**_

_**Birthday: 8**__**th**__** August (Beginning of autumn) See Japanese calendar.**_

_**Back story: The current 28**__**th**__** head of the Kazumi House, he oversees the public side of the family. As head of the Kidou department, he teaches in the Academy, but most days are usually spent to study his hobbies: music, safecracking (no idea where that came from), and toxicology. Also considered insane, but this has not cleared the medical field yet. Although a public figure, rarely seen in society. Has been in the 2**__**nd**__**, 4**__**th**__** and 12**__**th**__** squads before teaching, then Captainship, then back to teaching. Currently married to his Zanpakutou, Kurohime, or so he claims, as the possibility of marriage to Zanpakutou is still a matter up for debate. May seem like an idiot, but he's a strong and intelligent idiot. Looks a lot like Byakuya, except with glasses (the practicality and sexiness of wire-rim is so underestimated…), yet acts somewhat like Urahara in a slapstick gag…**_

_**Somehow, that came out wrong…Oh well…**_

_**Announcement: I will be reviewing the rating for this fic soon in preparation for the next chapter. **_


	28. Chapter 27: The Crazy Other Self

_**Previously…**_

Byakuya found himself on all fours, over Chiyuki, who was smiling crazily (imagine simpering evilly). "**Byakuya Sama…**" she breathed out in that voice, causing his instincts to overload. "**Byakuya Sama, come to me…**"

Once upon a happier time he could have blown this off; now, he had no idea…

* * *

"Byakuya Sama, untie me…" Chiyuki breathed, still enthralling him. Within seconds, his hands were busy undoing the rope and leather binding her. As the ropes fell away from her body, the silver light dying out, Chiyuki tackled him, straddling him so that she was sitting directly on a very sensitive part of the male anatomy. Warm plus wet, plus pressure equals… do the math yourself.

Now, even the Kuchiki Ice Block was watching this seductive creature on him, shivering as he grew hard under her (I sound like a trashy romance novel). She held his hands down (where did that strength come from?), leaning closer to his face, eyes now brightly aglow with silver light. "**Byakuya Sama, don't you want me? Oh, Byakuya Sama, you who have never been intimate for so long….then again, neither has my host. In fact, my host is probably even more regimented than you.**" she whispered, her yukata hanging open, giving a certain (terrified?) Captain a view of a lifetime.

Still what did that mean? "Your host?" He tentatively asked, feeling like he was dealing with Kurosaki's 'other' personality. The one where they were toe-to-toe, then a Hollow mask appeared on Kurosaki's face and then the crazy maniac proceeded to slice Byakuya's chest into mincemeat. That was terrifying enough, even with a nice, safe, powerful Zanpakutou like Senbonzakura out in Senkei mode, a weapon of death and destruction like that in his hand. When unarmed, can't lift your arms to cast Kidou, and unable to defend or escape? Don't even try.

"**Oh? My host. This body. I am the embodiment of her power, her every single shred of knowledge. A Zanpakutou of sorts. Like the 'monster' that lies in the heart of a certain human Vaizard. Who, by the way, has your sister in his bed now?**" 'Chiyuki' said, looking up at the ceiling in a frown. "I can't seem to get any clarity, just noise"

Now he was going to neuter Kurosaki, but, first things first.

"Answer my next question, Chiyuki." he said, giving an air of command the Captains are so known for.

"**I am a separate entity of my own, thank you very much.**" The musical voice turned to nails on a chalkboard, grating on his senses. "**I have a name, and deserve to be addressed as such**." Then, the voice returned, pleasantly musical once more. "**But then again, names have power. So you may address as such.**"

_-.-How illogical_**.** "Chiyuki, _what_ are you?"

"**I am me; that's it. I am power, I am knowledge, I am emotions. I take over in battle, so that my host can never feel the pain of killing, thus concentrating on the memories she access.**"

"Memories?" _there's more than me?_

"**Of course there's more than your pitiful tome, Byakuya Sama.**" She purred, shivering again at the reaction gotten from the only male in the room whose erection she was sitting on, and, to Byakuya's supreme horror(and was that a twinge of _lust_?), liked. "**Memories are interconnected, no? They are related, even across space and time. Every person has a book of their memory. Imagine; one girl holds all of Soul Society's memories in her head. Perfect memory recall; the sum total of the power many minds hold. Possibly even the real world's, and even Hell's. The most basic repository of knowledge is after all, the memory. What is more, is the ability to edit them at will, which you know? So much knowledge is detrimial to the mind, and, unable to cope at such a young age, I stepped in to protect my host.**"

She loosened the belt on her yukata, giving a glimpse of a smooth stomach and pale, smooth skin of a fairy, along with a bigger eyeful of white, virgin mounds that just looked like it was melded to his hands, should he touch…sounds like a romance novel, only with slightly more original words.

"**Enough talk**." She panted, one hand snaking over to his shoulder, the other straying to his belt. "**More do**."

"Wait!" _Really, there must be a talk on something to do when a crazy girl is attempting rape_. "I remember; your host refused contact with me at all. So, why are you here?"

Oddly enough was the answer, which was to freeze there. Silver eyes never turning away, she looked at him. "**Byakuya Sama, I am emotion. I seek what my host seeks. Right now, my host seeks oblivion from your rather disturbing memory of your previous wife. For what I do not know; she has never reacted like this. It's a subconscious thing. On the other hand…**"

She lowered her head to his ear, rasping: "**I can **_**hear **_**your desire, Byakuya Sama. So can my still developing host, who is inexperienced in these sorts of feelings that splash in all the memories she knows. The inexperienced are drawn to that they do not know, after all. **_**I can hear it**_."

_Holy hell, she can hear my memories? _How to react… sit there and wait…

Bad idea. For then her mouth met his immobile lips, and began fighting with said lips. Horrifically, she was winning, and he was succumbing to her inherent charm as her tongue flicked in…

He pushed her off him, rising up and backing off, watching as her hair returned to its normal ebony shade, the silver fading to its normal hue of blue. The lusty expression was replaced by stark horror and tears.

"Sorry." She said, running for the screen, ignoring Byakuya's "Wait!"

As it slid shut, he could hear sobs echoing eerily from outside, where a few snowflakes flew, though really, snow in September?

* * *

Byakuya simply sat there staring at the screen. Though on the surface, he appeared calm, a maelstrom of emotions was brewing within him. Duty warred with shock; lust warred with reason, common sense with shame.

_Hisana, I'm sorry…_

_Get over it; she's dead. Face the future, find new love._

_Still, she was…_

_What is happening?_

"_That's what I want to know, Byakuya."_

The last words were of Senbonzakura, who had materialised in the room.

To the eye, Senbonzakura looked like a samurai, dressed in pink armour, with a mask on his face. The mask was similar to an oni's face, intending to terrify all that the wearer faced in battle. The proud samurai stood the empty parts where the eyes should be faced towards Byakuya.

Byakuya regarded Senbonzakura coldly, no doubt that the latter had already read his thoughts. "I have no idea."

"Very well, then. I will find that idea." The samurai said, fading off into the dark.

Lying on his futon again, Byakuya was pretty sure that he couldn't sleep tonight.

* * *

_Minutes later…._

Senbonzakura, that oh-so-powerful Zanpakutou, was prostrated before the noble Kazumi Chiyuki, who was holding his oh-so-powerful self down by sheer dint of reiatsu. How did this happen?

_A few minutes before…_

Senbonzakura stared around, wondering if he had accidentally travelled to the wrong place instead. After dematerialising, he had travelled into the dreams of the resident enigma, or the Lady Kuchiki's, inner world. What it made up surprised him.

He was in a dark, dimly lit library. Al around him, shelves upon shelves of books were stacked, stretching out to no idea where. Books actually floated around, pages scattering around the expansive space. The occasional scroll floated past Senbonzakura, as if held by some lack of gravity.

"Who are you?" a voice, soft yet ringing, echoed out. He turned to the source and found himself staring at Chiyuki. She was standing, facing him, her left eye glowing silver, the right eye a brilliant sky blue. This time, her hair was black, and the lines of her face were gentler, more appealing and cute. Her eyes were also rounder than usual, from what he could tell.

"My name is Senbonzakura, pleased to meet you." He replied. "Doubtlessly, you know my wielder already. He is Kuchiki Byakuya, your current…spouse."

"Hmm? Really? I don't know. Oh, someone is here." She replied, puzzled as she turned.

Senbonzakura looked behind. He saw the very same mad woman who had tried to attack Byakuya. White hair askew, both eyes shining silver, she spat at him: "Why are you here? Kari, come here."

"Who is he, Yami?"The first Chiyuki clone asked. "No idea, Kari." The second clone replied. Perhaps we should let Yuki handle it."

Yami turned to Senbonzakura. Grabbing the front of his shirt, she pulled him closer to her, despite Senbonzakura being taller and heavier. "You, did you hurt her?"She snarled at him.

"What? No, of course not…"_this girl might actually rip me apart…_

"Get out, and stay out." Saying so, she threw him through a bookcase that did not contain shelves, but rather, a silver mirror.

When he finally landed, he was on his feet, standing before the irate Chiyuki. Senbonzakura, who had faced so much, was afraid of her.

"Did Byakuya Sama send you?" she questioned, her eyes beginning to glow silver. Tear tracks still glistened on her face. That was when the pressure came. Fear settled in his heart and the spirit pressure released held him down. And she wasn't even breaking a sweat.

* * *

_**Profiles!!**_

_**Name: Kazumi Chiyuki **__**和 美 **__**千**__**雪**_

_**Model: Asama Miya, Sekirei**_

_**Gender: Female**_

_**Species: Kitsune**_

_**Hair: Black. Eyes: Blue.**_

_**Height: 5'4"**_

_**Condition: Multiple personality disorder. Two personalities, one called Hikari, Kari for short. The other is Kurayami, Yami for short. When Yami is dominant, Chiyuki has white hair and silver eyes. When Kari is dominant, left eye is silver, right eye is blue. **_

_**Age: 199 years old.**_

_**Birthday: November 7.**_

_**Back story: In her youth, she fell in love and was rejected when she froze her lover in reiatsu by accident. Due to the trauma, she developed multiple personality disorder.**_

_**She later on married Byakuya through an agreement meant to protect Soul Society. Despite having to marry someone she has never seen before, she accepts it, knowing very well that it is a contract, a 'marriage without love.'**_

_**Despite being a girl, she is strong both physically and mentally, equal to the Eleventh Division's Third Seat in Bojutsu (how to use staffs to fight). Coupled with her talent of controlling memories, she is a formidable foe. However, her reiatsu is unstable, necessitating the split personality to help control it. So, sometimes she can conjure fire, sometimes ice. **_

_**Please review~**_


	29. Chapter 28: An Assasination Fails

_**See beginning, last sentence…**_

"Did Byakuya Sama send you?" she questioned, her eyes beginning to glow silver. Tear tracks still glistened on her face. That was when the pressure came. Fear settled in his heart and the spirit pressure released held him down. And she wasn't even breaking a sweat.

She stared down at Senbonzakura, fully materialised, contemptuously, though her eyes still brimmed with tears. "Answer me, Senbonzakura. Did he send you?"

Sen was truly frightened. Any being that could summon him down from dreams must be very frightening indeed, and she looked pissed, frankly speaking. "No."

Her expression turned to one of tiredness. "Very well, then. Go, before I decide to feed you to Yami."

"Who are you…?"

"Go." Her hair was beginning to turn white.

Senbonzakura disappeared the moment the pressure lifted; he was scared enough to run.

* * *

Byakuya still couldn't expect sleep within the hour of tossing and turning, and was considering the pros and cons of Yachiru turning up somewhere as welcome, when Senbonzakura materialised. Now, he switched to wondering what Sen had found out; it wasn't everyday that he was this scared.

Then, the screen slid open for the second time tonight. "Senbonzakura, shut up and disappear." Chiyuki said, sliding the door shut. Senbonzakura disappeared, but Byakuya caught a heave and a snicker, or so he thought, except that Sen was usually as anal-retentive as he was.

Turning to Byakuya, she bowed deeply. "I am very sorry for anything that I have done to you. I deeply apologise from the bottom of my heart."

"Thank you; I accept your apology…" Byakuya was overcome by a wave of tiredness in mid-speech.

As her back straightened, she asked him, this time pointedly: "Trouble sleeping?"

Byakuya dumbly nodded. Ten seconds later, he was under her soft fingers, working his back. Not that he had a choice; she had simply flipped him with a face plant (admittedly not hard) and proceeded to run her fingers down the contours of his back. The last words he heard were "Dream, and then wake." Before falling into the blackness called sleep.

* * *

When Byakuya finally fell asleep, Chiyuki languidly waved a finger, allowing threads of reiatsu to keep him in sleep, binding his eyes closed. Then, she stared off for a while, until the samurai appeared again.

"Kitsune." Sen spoke. "I should have known."

"Senbonzakura." Chiyuki agreed. "Me too. Although sincerely, this is the first time we are meeting. You no doubt wonder why I recognised you at a glance."

"True, but I now pieced the puzzle together." Sen replied dryly. "The fact that you are a White Fox, added to that your power over memories, led me to believe the obvious; a balance is disturbed, and so fate led you here."

"So serious, Sen. Yet so true; there are changes to be made." She agreed.

Both were silent for a while, before Chiyuki tentatively spoke:

"Sen, you know certain…elements in the Kuchiki would love for your wielder to conveniently…disappear, correct?"

"True, I know. Why?"

"Sen, think; now that Byakuya is inconveniently married, should he die, I would hold mandate, and by the law…"

"…the Kazumi family takes over. So, those elements would take you out first…"

"Except that they will not succeed; nearly every mercenary owes their lives to us. The most convenient would be if both were to die, except that that would lead into a full inquiry…"

"So, they can hope for Byakuya to die in the war…"

"And then kill me, but that is again impossible; Kuchiki Byakuya is not the strongest head of the Kuchiki House for nothing, and I am not so defenceless. There shall probably be a very…interesting debate tomorrow."

"Since when did foxes learn to see the future?"

"Since something called a _schedule_ was invented. Incredible too; in my place, clan meetings could begin and end at any hour of day and night." Chiyuki answered, thoughtfully tapping her chin.

"-.-…your brother's crazy, as well as your inhumane elders. Now, I have a whole new respect for the Kuchiki's; as least that batch doesn't hold meetings at four in the morning."

"Let us sleep now; there are trials to stand up to tomorrow. Furthermore, if you tell Byakuya about anything I said, remember the backlog of pages the last _Memoria*_ forgot to clear."

And with that finality, Sen disappeared, and Chiyuki followed suit.

* * *

The next day, as Byakuya made his way to the office, he noticed one thing; it was quieter than usual. This was very _wrong_, as he was walking past the Eleventh Division, homicidal circus of Seireitei.

The reason was found out upon closer inspection; the noticeable absence of Zaraki Kenpachi. Upon questioning, Ikkaku mentioned something about a written invite hand-delivered by someone. Byakuya proceeded to tear the office door down and found the letter, reading:

_**To whom it may concern**_

_**Please come over to the Kazumi manor at 0800 hours. Bring your lieutenant too; Kokoro needs to get rid of some sweets, and I need to get some training down. I would have delivered this message myself, but I have a gang fight to settle. See you there.**_

_**Kazumi Ryuuhito**_

It suddenly struck Byakuya that this note was written in the politest words Kenpachi could understand and would acknowledge as from the Eleventh Division, thus further drawing the battle-crazed maniac in. Poor guy; the last time, Ryuuhito had swept the entire Division off its feet. Or maybe they were humouring him that time, but Kenpachi sure as hell wasn't, and he was pissed.

_Damn_, he thought. Better report this to the SouTaichou.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Yamamoto sent the fourth squad to pick Kenpachi up. Kenpachi, for the first time in his life, managed an _operation_ and over a hundred stitches, causing him, and thus his long-time lover[secret lover]Unohana, to wish that Ryuuhito gave him wine and sparred with him every week. Whatever the _wine_ was, the funny old man sent an entire crate, congratulating the two on going out, and added a postscript, mentioning another sparring session next week, which brings us to what kind of anaesthetic could elicit thumps, moans and sucking sounds under effect for three hours straight.

* * *

_Meanwhile in the Kuchiki manor…_

Chiyuki glared at the cold cup of tea set onto the table, as if it could spontaneously heat itself up if she did it long enough, which it could, but then the table will be very unattractively burnt to cinders. Behind her, hiding behind the shoji screen, watching, a servant trembled under an unknown fear he felt.

_That was fast. Apparently, the rebellious have begun moving._ Still glaring at the cup, she wrapped both hands around and proceeded to lift the cup to her lips…

And before she drank, she muttered: "Enter."

The servant all but tumbled in, legs nervously shaking. Behind the hands hiding her lips from view, Chiyuki gave a small grin. _So weak…_

No other person should ever have to suffer the predator's smile directly. For this pitiful one, though, she had worse in store.

"What is your name?"

"Y-yes? My name is Hayate." The servant spluttered, losing his nerve under her piercing gaze.

"No family, Hayate?" Chiyuki purred, releasing a hint of compulsion into her voice.

"Sorry, er… surname Kuroda, Kuroda Hayate _desu_."

"Very well then. _Kuroda Hayate_," The poor guy was fighting not to run away straight. "Your mission is a failure. Poisoning should take place with the food, not with one measly cup of tea. Also, it is best if arsenic is not employed. Furthermore, the Twelfth Division would love a new test subject, so answer wholly and truthfully or face an untimely disappearance."

Kuroda stood there, still shaking. His jaw was moving, poised as if to bite down on something.

"And should you choose the pill of poison, potassium cyanide no doubt, I will personally make sure that no soul will ever see your dear siblings ever again. Your poor, ill siblings will disappear with your death, and no one shall ever hear of their fates."

Kuroda paused there, still shaking, but there was now a light of determination in his eyes, clouded by confusion, but nevertheless still there. "Don't you dare hurt them." He growled.

"I give my word that they will be protected, should you choose to surrender and give evidence." Chiyuki said, seriously.

"How do I know that I will not be backstabbed?" Kuroda asked, still nervous.

"Kuroda, hear the legends in Rukongai; Legends always have a basis in fact."

"The one about the monsters?"He sounded sceptical.

"No, the one where we always keep our word, stand by it, and don't tolerate betrayal."

The sharp tone cut Kuroda to the bone, chilling him to his very extremes. The room temperature had already dropped so far that the tea was in danger of freezing.

Chiyuki then threw the cup at him. The contents sloshed him all over, then spontaneously froze, keeping him there and immobilised.

Chiyuki prised him mouth loose, took the capsule out, and, crushing it underfoot while the saliva was burned off her hands, much to Kuroda's surprise, asked Kuroda: "Who sent you?"

* * *

_**Please review!!! **_

_**Profiles!!!**_

_**Name: Kazumi Kokoro **_和美 心

_**Model: Hanazono Shizuka, Strawberry Panic**_

_**Gender: Female**_

_**Species: Kitsune**_

_**Hair: Silver. Eyes: Blue.**_

_**Height: 5'3"**_

_**Condition: Insanity brought on by worrying too much.**_

_**Age: over 3000. (Birthday: c. before Georgian calendar)**_

_**Back story: Possessing power equal to even Yamamoto, the Dowager Lady of the Kazumi house is a formidable foe, a reliable if slightly businesslike and insane ally, and intelligent as befitting of her status. Despite her age, she looks barely legal, a subject of much contention among the Shinigami's Women Association. Commanding, ruthless with enemies, yet kind, charitable, and a legend among Rukongai and Seireitei alike, one wonders what would happen should she ever become insane beyond hope…**_


	30. Chapter 29: A Summary of 20,000 years

_**Dear readers…**_

_**Ah hell. Ever since its inception, My New Wife's Not Human has received a lukewarm, if not really warm, rating from the audience. Thank you for ever supporting this writer. This very weary scribe has been made very, very happy. So, without further ado, let us present the story's 30**__**th**__** chapter.**_

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_**Previously…**_

Chiyuki prised him mouth loose, took the capsule out, and, crushing it underfoot while the saliva was burned off her hands, much to Kuroda's surprise, asked Kuroda: "Who sent you?"

She looked pissed, her eyes beginning to glow brightly. Kuroda remembers an urban legend and considers its relevance to now:

_The Nobility is the light that graces Seireitei; the Kazumi House is the darkness that rules over the hearts of Rukongai. With eyes that glow even in the night, they walk the dark relentlessly; seeking vengeance on traitors should they be betrayed. Never cross a Kazumi; will the resulting struggle ever let you walk free, should you even win…_

* * *

Byakuya secretly glared at the incoming paperwork, scaring the poor Shinigami who brought it in. Due to his Lieutenant still in the real world, his work had increased exponentially over the past few days, ever since the recent Arrancar attacks. On the upside, he was not the one handling the Tenth Division's paperwork; Matsumoto's notorious truancy made the involvement of Nanao, Hisagi and several Shinigami necessary just to get through the preliminary reports. On the other hand, having to handle part of the Eleventh's paperwork was a downright headache.

As he shuffled through the papers for the third time [a habit from pre-captain days; Paper can hide an amazing amount of stuff, especially in a pile, in between its pages; superglue tends to do that to people.], his train of thought took a ninety-degree turn as he pondered about the events of last night. He still remembered her kiss; it had been desperate, needing, as if starved of attention… _Think, what kind of condition is that?_

Perhaps a visit to the archives is in order.

* * *

_Scratch that,_ he thought. _Several visits are in order._

Upon searching for the history of the family, the title lists held about ten thousand books alone. Ranging from their humble beginnings to their rise in power, and finally to their present status, that list alone was in the history section of the archives. If all the books in Seireitei were an indication, at least three million books, with an eclectic mixture of subjects ranging from fact to legends contained stories of the Kazumi family.

From some fast skimming, Byakuya managed to build a rough diagram of the family tree:

The first Head of the Kazumi house was a minor noble artist in the Royal Court, who then later became one of the strongest Shinigami, elevating his status, and that of his family, to that akin to high nobility within _five hundred years _[a cool feat to manage, he thought]. Seeking to preserve the Arts he so loved, he laid out bases of power, both political and economical, so that the bloodline may keep these Arts in peace, unfettered by the pace of change and to not let the Arts be lost to time. Despite the bloodline regularly yielding Captain-level Shinigami, it was not until the tenth generation, where the Tenth head rose to become Captain of the Royal Guard [Byakuya had a little trouble believing that] that the Kazumi family was elevated to Great Four Noble Houses status.

From then on, legends of the Arts, a pretty broad definition, the family preserved in the world began to spawn. Perhaps the most famous legend of the family was that of their madness. Considered insane, the Kazumi walked freely around Rukongai, got involved in fights, and behaved pretty much like their common counterparts, just more polite, intelligent and charming. Despite this, they were also powerful and daring, involved in organised crime to a large scale where they controlled nearly all aspects of the Rukongai criminal's life [which was never proven, but it stuck anyway; who better to take the blame than a High Noble family who can't be accused?], yet they were also fair, justice abiding people who stood up for the common man. An inborn charisma, combined with a laidback attitude and with the noble chivalry they practiced in public, they quickly won the hearts of Rukongai, controlling all except for East Rukongai, still holding out valiantly as the last frontier against the Kazumi's total domination.

Furthermore, where the Nobles passed the mantle of succession from father to son, the Kazumi House had a strict rule where only the strongest could become the clan's leader. Regardless of gender, legality or wealth, only the smartest, strongest, fastest and most ruthless could be leader. This law meant that if a common Rukongai rat were to defeat the heir, that rat would become heir until he too is defeated, or until death of the previous head.

Which explained a very unsettling coincidence: All the lords and ladies of the Kazumi House were Lieutenant level, if not Captain level, if not Royal Guard level, if not among the strongest level, if not _the_ strongest. Then, the other coincidence: All have met with a violent end in battle. No surprises there…probably, except that _all_ died violently. Funny coincidence.

Possibly, the strain of so much power on one individual causes such a reaction, he concluded. _Meaning I still don't know what to do._

Glancing at the wall clock and seeing as it was five, he made to leave, electing to grab a book that may be relevant, but bore only one word upon its cover:

_Memoria._

* * *

Perhaps this was a bad idea, Chiyuki admitted to herself later as she watched the servants cart the human statue that was Kuroda out of the room to thaw. Like the true elite of the servant class, they had not asked any questions but just sent the assassin to be thawed out before hypothermia finished him off. Keeping him alive was necessary; as a Kazumi, a death within her vicinity could land her in the mental asylum, a place no one desires to go. If she had a choice, the guy would be choking saltwater in Tokyo Bay now. Once she got the hang of opening a portal to the real world. The one time she tried, her wing of the manor had been rather snowed over, but nothing else happened.

Still, that did nothing to calm the feeling of righteous indignation that had flamed in her heart. The idiot that dared to send such amateurs will pay dearly, she decided.

Now, on to what to do…

Out of the blue, a shiver of excitement ran up her spine, running the length of her body until she nearly moaned aloud in lust. Trying to keep her wits about her, she struggled to remember the only thing that could bring about this lust.

_The Book. Shit; someone found it._

* * *

When Byakuya got back, he had expected that the house would be its normal, everyday quiet self. Raising an eyebrow at the ice statue the servants were thawing out, he listened to the steward explaining about an assassination attempt on Chiyuki.

Despite the fact that said assassin was now trapped in an ice statue, it did nothing to allay the stab of worry that followed this revelation. This was followed by the confusion that he, who hardly worried over anything but his subordinates, servants and Rukia, would begin to worry about her. Then, reason intervened and pointed out that it was normal to worry about someone currently living under your roof.

When he went to visit her chambers, still holding the book, he found one very unusual thing; the screens were nearly frozen shut. Ice had gathered in the cracks and made the door nearly impossible to open. Even when he had gotten it open, he still had to contend with three more doors until he reached her room.

Then, as he reached out to slide the screen open, a feeling of being electrocuted rushed through his fingers.

A barrier? Who erects a barrier in their own room? Byakuya withdrew his fingers immediately, and the tingling sensation dimmed, but at least his fingers were relatively unscathed.

Using his spirit senses, he was unable to find a single flaw in this barrier to exploit. He vaguely tried to force his way through with sheer power, but the barrier was…absorbing it? How novel, truly a work of genius. Perhaps she had a future in the Kidou Corps.

Or it was a direct result of living with the Kidou Maestro. God knows how messy he was; Byakuya had heard that cleaning up after Chiaki in a writing mood was actually on the lists of the Academy's severe punishments, despite that every piece of paper was sought after by the Kidou Corps. Either way, it meant that no brute force can break through this.

What to do, what to do… Kuchiki Byakuya grinned secretly. He was a Kidou master, after all.

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_**Tune in next time!!! Please review!!**_

_**Now, on to Profiles…**_

_**Name: Shihouin Yoichi **_四楓院 与一

_**Model: Shihouin Yoruichi, Bleach**_

_**Gender: Male**_

_**Height: 5'10"**_

_**Age: Roughly a century older than Yoruichi.**_

_**Eyes: Yellow, Hair: short, purple, with a white streak running through it.**_

_**Back story: Formerly Commander of the Omitsukido, Yoichi was killed in battle. While lying on he ground dying about 150 years ago, Chiyuki and Ryuuhito walked up to him and offered him his life back in exchange of his eternal service. Now working for the Kazumi House as chief of security, he is a Youkai of species Bakeneko, doomed to walk separately from normal Shinigami and Hollows for eternity. Looks a lot like his younger sister.**_


	31. Chapter 30:Soar in the Night, Valkyrie

_**Cliffhangers!!! Hope you people like it!! I'm practicing cliffhangers at the moment, so bear with me, please.**_

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So unlike a noble, Chiyuki was face down on the table, staring into the smooth grain like the answers to life were written in it. Though dazed and daydreaming, she could hear someone's attempts to break down the barrier she had set up. _Good luck_, she thought. No self-respecting Youkai didn't know barriers; these barriers were part of the reason they weren't found by that bastard Mayuri already.

So, what had happened?

Flashback:

_As Chiyuki struggled to come to terms with the reaction brought on by one lousy book, a Hell Butterfly flew in, bearing a message from her grandfather._

'_Yoichi is coming over with a message. Seal the room. The fat's in the fire now.'_

_Knowing her grandfather never to use similes unless in great distress or, saving that, great bodily harm [not that it had happened before]; she fought down the last of the sudden lust to a dull throb, and then erected a Kidou barrier over all possible entrances. The barriers were made to be soundproof and secure, yet easy enough that even the most Kidou challenged Shinigami could erect it._

_With the barriers done, she…what do humans call it... ah, faceplanted on the table, and prepared to wait…_

True to word, twenty minutes later a almost-black cat, save for the white streak running the length of its body, sneaked into the only door not covered with a Kidou barrier; the part of the roof he had managed to uncover.

"What took you so long?" Chiyuki asked it. "Normally you take only ten minutes to run anywhere."

"Chased by stupid guard dogs." The cat replied, still panting. "I'd like to see Ojou try to get through twenty hounds out for your blood."

"I see. Well then, what is the message?" Chiyuki asked, slightly puzzled. She wasn't usually called to meetings of the Youkai nature; that was reserved for O Jii Sama, O Baa Sama and Nii Sama. Furthermore, when she came out, either it froze or it burned the place [mostly froze] and anywhere within half a kilometre radius. So, her presence was not actually very welcome.

"The BakeTanuki brought up that issue about the ruckus about a week ago. The one where half of Seireitei was pranked and nearly blew our cover." Yoichi said. "He's demanding a change in leadership and nominated himself."

"Gods, no, that womaniser is going to endanger anything with a vagina that's moving." Chiyuki cursed under her breath. "So where do I come in?" she asked him.

"By the rules, each side must present their youngest to fight it out. The losing side is exiled and must obey the other side." Yoichi replied.

"I see. What time is the duel?"

"Midnight, Ojou, at the usual place."

"Er, Yoichi, the clan meeting is at midnight and I'm supposed to be present…"

"You can't be present for a meeting that's _postponed for tomorrow_ today, right?" Yoichi asked with a grin.

A beat. "What did you do?"

"Tofu Kozo's tofu was supplied to the Kuchiki kitchens earlier. By ten p.m., all who ate the tofu will come down with a stomach ache that will not subside until dawn tomorrow, and don't worry; the old farts will be fine." Yoichi replied proudly. "Except for some bad indigestion over the next few days…" he continued, the evil Cheshire making its ever well-known appearance.

"You're evil, Yoichi." Chiyuki stated, but smiling nevertheless.

Unknown to mistress and pet, Byakuya stood outside the room, listening to their every word.

* * *

Byakuya stood in front of the shoji screen. To the normal person, he would have appeared to be holding a thread of some sort. Yes, he was holding a thread in both hands, but these were not ordinary threads, but highly unstable spirit threads. To him, it was easy to break down a barrier of this kind. The only problem was how to do it quietly.

He had already broken down the sound barrier and was halfway through the more physical one when Chiyuki's voice sounded from behind the screen: "What took you so long? Normally you take only ten minutes to run anywhere."

Then, Yoichi's voice sounded, much to Byakuya's surprise. On reflection, he decided it was normal; still, that did not explain why he had felt…jealous?

The green-eyed monster faded fast as he listened on. BakeTanuki? A duel? The tofu's spiked? What's going on?

Tonight would be a very good idea for a night walk. Especially around midnight.

* * *

Perhaps that was a wrong idea, he decided two hours later as he looked at the table.

To avoid the tofu, he had initially decided to simply ignore it altogether. However, when every single dish contains some form of tofu, that becomes a _tad_ more difficult. Ranging from the discreet _inarisushi_ to the blatant block of tofu, adorned with _momiji_, the entire thing had some form of tofu in it. Even the soup had tofu!!!

He glared over the rest of the table, and at Chiyuki, who did not seem to appear worried that her food contained some form of poison or laxative or whatever that is called, silently consuming morsel after morsel. Though she did seem to avoid the block of tofu…

_Huuh. _Byakuya withdrew his chopsticks, just millimetres away from the block.

* * *

Another two hours later, nine p.m, Byakuya stood outside her room again. Bracing his fingers on the frame, he slid it open a fraction, and stopped as a thump sounded on the other side. Aligning his eye to the crack, he peeped through.

Chiyuki was undressing in front of a chest of drawers. Byakuya felt himself blush slightly as the robes pooled around her bare feet, followed by the under robes. His blush deepened as she drew out a pair of deep blue hakama pants, paired with white and blue shihakusho. Dressing herself in them, she then pulled her long hair out of its bun.

Her hand reached into the chest of drawers again, now drawing out a hairpin. A deep ebony colour, the hairpin was decorated simply by white fluff off the blunt end. Twisting the hairpin into her hair, she put it in a bun, but with loose tendrils hanging out of it.

Reaching into the chest again, Byakuya had to resist exclaiming when she pulled a katana out. Drawing it and checking for rust, Byakuya admired her blue eyes, brows furrowed in concentration. So cute, he mused to himself…

Until her eyes glowed silver again, the reflection off the blade giving it off. Then cute turned to slightly freaked.

This then turned to surprise as she pulled out a towel, an identical suit, and a completely identical hairpin. Wrapping all of it into a bundle, she slung it over her hips, tying it into place. Sticking the katana, sheath and all, into her obi, she took a last look around, during which Byakuya hid himself.

Then, satisfied that no trace was left, she turned to leave through another door. From there, she leapt out of the window, and into the night.

* * *

Not too far off, Byakuya trailed the white dot as it flew across the night sky of Seireitei. Jumping from the tiled rooftops, she headed towards the forests, a look of peace and serenity decorating her normally expressionless face. Byakuya was mesmerised; it was like seeing the immortal beauty so rarely imagined, much less seen. The beauty continued on its quest, unknowing of the mere mortal following its path.

Finally, as the clouds in the night cleared, a beam of moonlight fell onto the moving Chiyuki. Despite not wearing any jewels or adornments, she still stood out against the forest light, painting the silhouette of a fairy soaring through the night sky…

* * *

_Rise of the Valkyries, _Byakuya vaguely recalled the famous painting of Odin's daughters riding the storm winds into battle. The painting, accurate it may be in subject, was nevertheless incomparable to the Valkyries in front of him. Still running at full speed, even though it had been just over two hours, Chiyuki continued to soar even in North Rukongai. It may have been due to exhaustion, but he could swear that she was even more beautiful now than compared to the two weeks he had seen her around.

Still, this did not help his exhaustion. Being more of a speed than endurance person, Byakuya was really amazed that she had the willpower to run for two hours straight.

He was really thankful when she finally slowed down at the edge of the eightieth district, Zaraki. Still panting, he watched as she walked up to a roadside shrine. She looked around again, suspiciously, as Byakuya hid himself. Finally satisfied that there were no passers-by, she walked through the shrine, which dissolved into the edge a clearing in the middle of the forest.

The surroundings also dissolved; where there were cobblestone roads now flourished with undergrowth. Bare desert turned into trees and flowers, their leaves rustling adding to the forbidding atmosphere of the place.

Chiyuki drew her sword again. Half of it still in its sheath, the steel glinted in the moonlight, shining as silver as its wielder's eyes.

_Steel_, Byakuya thought, _forged to deliver quick, silent death…_

* * *

_**Youkai trivia:**_

_**BakeTanuki are about the same as Tanuki or Japanese raccoon dogs. The only differences is where the Tanuki are monogamous, the BakeTanuki in this story is hideously polygamous; BakeTanuki are the monsters that give the word 'womaniser', 'pervert', 'rapist' and 'sick'[the last two words together preferably] a whole new meaning. However, they are undeniably powerful as well, constituting part of the nobility of the Youkai. BakeTanuki have iron balls; both figuratively and literally and an ego that could give Byakuya's a run for his money. Unless on pain of decapitation [castration a preferred method], they will not bow down to follow anyone's orders.**_

_**Tofu Kozo, literally 'tofu kid', is a Youkai whose weapon is, incredibly, a block of tofu, adorned with momiji, or Japanese red maple leaf. This tofu is the source of a wide amount of rumours, ranging that anyone who eat it will die a horrible death by spores to doing absolutely nothing.**_

_**You can read up on this Youkai, and the Tanuki, and more on The Obakemono Project.**_

_**.com**_

_**Please review!!! O.O**_


	32. Chapter 31:Fly into battle, Valkyrie

_**Warning: the following page contains some battle scenes, possibly some blood and gore. For those of the hard of imagination, please bear with me for a while.**_

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Seeing her reflect on the blade, Byakuya felt power running through the entire clearing. Not reiatsu; this was of a different nature altogether, flowing through the ground, the trees, even in the air. It felt like being dipped in water; except that breathing was still an option. What was this place?

Byakuya snapped out of his reverie when Chiyuki sheathed the blade again, then turned to walk into the clearing. He followed her to the edge, and abruptly stopped at the sight.

The entire clearing was brightly illuminated by torches, about nine feet in height, driven into the ground circling the clearing. Strangely, the flames burning were not incendiary orange, but bluish-white, burning steadily, giving the eerie effect of moonlight. Spaced evenly with about fifteen feet in between, the torches stood between groups of the weirdest people Byakuya had ever seen.

Ranging from the classically beautiful to the downright scary, scores of Youkai [so weird that they could only be fiction] sat upon tree branches, or floated, or sat on the ground, with some electing to stand, or suckered themselves onto the tree, hooting, whistling, and screaming. That was not what struck a Captain of the Gotei Juusantai dumb. Rather, it was the arena these motley crowds bordered, a smooth brown land with a white monolith [a raised platform of stone, imagine that] five feet tall, in the side. On the monolith stood two figures: Ryuuhito, dressed in deep blue casual kimono tattered at the sleeves [such dressing inappropriate for nobility, he thought], red tails waving behind him, and another man, with blond hair, dressed immaculately in formal wear of yellow, which would have looked normal if not for the deep brown tail behind him as well.

Chiyuki stood, regal as befitted her, facing another blond man. Byakuya estimated him to be about his height, blond by the looks of it, and right-handed, judging from the way he handled the long sabre in his hand. Byakuya noticed that the bundle was gone; a quick glance told him it was being held by a fox standing by the far sidelines…

He did a double-take. A fox? Russet red in colour, with black paws and ears, the fox's tail swished as it looked on; doubtlessly another of her kind.

Anyway, he watched on as Ryuuhito raised in voice to the entire stadium: "We are gathered here today to settle a dispute raised by BakeTanuki Shinga, namely the dispute over the land and authority he is allotted. By the old rules, this is settled via a duel. On the side of the Kitsune is Kazumi Chiyuki."

A scream went through the entire crowd, crying in frenzy.

"On the other side of the Tanuki is Kiba of the Tanuki."

Another chorus of shouts ensued.

"The rules are tedious to repeat and are usually ignored anyway, but let us go through the top three.

Firstly, no killing is allowed."

The crowd went "Awwww…" _Err… are these people really serious?_

"Although any other form of injury, sabotage, and trickery is allowed." Ryuuhito nodded in glee. "And encouraged." The crowd hollered their approval.

"Secondly, this is a purely physical duel, so no Kidou is allowed. Neither is projectile weapons; you, with the bow and arrows, get them away from the stage."

The guy with the bow immediately complied, but Byakuya still noticed the thousand or so knives under his black cloak.

"Thirdly, no contestant is allowed to escape. Similarly, none of the audience can help, interfere, or whatever other words that involves you in the fight."

A collective whine sounded through the clearing. _-. - How childish are these people? _Byakuya thought.

"Whoever who defeats their opponent in two out of three rounds win. Shaddup!!!" Ryuuhito shouted back over the din. "Now, begin!"

* * *

The first time Byakuya witnessed a Youkai battle, it was something he never forgot.

The two ran at each other, swords clashing as they exchanged blows. Chiyuki spun, slicing him on the left thigh, then jumping back at the other, Kiba, howled with rage. From Byakuya's point of view, Chiyuki was really comparable to a Valkyrie, rushing screaming into the fray as her sword sang, slicing another gash in his fore arm. Kiba did not look affected, instead moving his sabre up, slashing the front of her shihakusho.

Chiyuki hissed, backpedalling out of his range. Discarding her torn shihakusho, her breasts were only held together by bandages tied across it. Meanwhile, Kiba began to glow yellow with reiatsu, running to corner her. He prepared to slash down, but was stopped by a slim blade, held by Chiyuki, at his throat.

"Round one goes to the Kitsune!" The crowd cheered, screaming for blood.

The boom of a gong sounded; Byakuya turned to see the gong on the podium, along with a scoreboard tallying the victories. _Can this really be counted as a way to settle disputes…?_

As Round Two went underway, the two began to fight again. Chiyuki had just finished another attack when a tail swept up behind her and threw her to the ground.

"What the…" She looked up to see Kiba preparing to strike. Gathering her legs on top, she kicked, impacting with the guy's balls. He flew across the field, allowing her time to get up.

Kiba climbed out of the crater his impact made on the ground. His entire demeanour had changed; his blond hair was longer, and now striped, ears were sticking out of his head, and his wounds were healing up.

With one swing, he sent a blast of energy towards Chiyuki, who just barely dodged it. Howling out to the crowd, Kiba ran towards her, swinging his sword berserker-style.

"Are you trying to kill me?" she shouted as she dodged him. Her hair turned white, eyes glowing silver again; Byakuya felt the temperature drop. Nine white tails fanned out behind here, each waving like flags, desperate for blood.

The berserk opponent could only howl again, with good reason; hitting the balls was an insult to a Tanuki's pride. All reason was lost with only one objective; crush all that disrespects it.

Chiyuki opened her mouth again, chanting in verse a few familiar words:

_Shirokuro akai no musuba reru,  
Kurayami no shokki no raito no ama reru.  
Sorega kurai tokorode, raito ha teru.  
Sorehaanataga omoidasa seru,  
watashi no nazo dearu._

Then, adding the last line:

姫の名で、私は暗闇を呼び出す

_Hime no meide, watashi ha Kurayami wo yobidasu!!_

At the last line, her manner changed; flames began to appear in midair, floating ominously. At her command, they burned onto the opponent, who screamed and flailed about. At the last of the flames burned out, he collapsed, exhausted.

"And by default, since the Tanuki representative is unable to fight anymore, the Kitsune representative wins!!" Ryuuhito shouted, a note of pride in his voice. "Atta girl!!"

"I demand a rematch!!" The other man in yellow shouted above the din. "No chance!! Now then," Ryuuhito added, "about that land…"

Throughout all the cacophony, Byakuya saw the glint of silver as the opponent got up. Kiba ran berserk at Chiyuki, yelling out in hatred.

He was still yelling as his head hit the ground, burnt and frozen simultaneously. Chiyuki watched coldly as it bounced, a look of pure expressionlessness in her face...

* * *

"She violated the rules!!" the BakeTanuki yelled. He would have cut an imposing figure, if not that he was irate now. "Blood for blood!!"

"Nonsense." Ryuuhito dryly replied. "The duel is over; blame your representative for attacking from behind. Such a stupid and dishonourable thing to do is not befitting of the BakeTanuki. Death will always come sooner or later; besides, we all know you hate that son of yours."

The BakeTanuki looked scandalised. "nonsense, what are you talking about? So sad, he died so young, barely even eight hundred…"

_Just how long can these people live??_

And now, let the party begin!!" Ryuuhito shouted. Byakuya noticed the head and body on the ground; it was crumbling to dust, spirit particles floating off.

To have died alone, without anyone to mourn you… so sad…

He saw Chiyuki walking this way, still wearing only bandages paired with hakama, calling out to Ryuuhito: "O Jii Sama, I'm going back to the Kuchiki Manor." as she retrieved her bundle from a woman standing where Byakuya was certain the fox stood before.

"Okay, be safe!!" Ryuuhito shouted before he was glomped by Kokoro, looking quite drunk, judging from her movements.

The Kuchiki Manor. Not home. _Why does that hurt?_

* * *

_**And that's the fight.**_

_**To be continued…right now. =D**_

_

* * *

_

Byakuya trailed her as she ran, still admittedly panting. That was it; she had better endurance than even Zaraki, and that was saying a lot.

When they came to a crossroads, Chiyuki took the left fork, though the way back was the right. Curious, Byakuya followed her as she ran up a hill, and disappeared into a forest.

When she finally stopped beside a natural hot spring, fed by a small trickle from a large crack in the rocky mountain slope, surrounded by granite rocks jutting out of the pool, Byakuya slowed down and hid himself not far off behind a tree. He watched as she undressed, blushing slightly to see the bandages falling, followed by the blue hakama and the bandages underneath _that_.

His embarrassment did not fool his eyes though; he could see the white inked lines on her back; where the base of the spinal cord was, a fan shape made by nine sword shapes, four spread to the left, four out to the right, a double-edged sword shape in the middle, all branching from a triangle situated directly over the base. And where the tails branched from.

His eyes now glued to it, he watched on as she waded into the spring, washing away the last of the blood traces. Her black hair flowed behind her, and the moon overhead bathed he spring in light, giving the illusion of a fairy again.

As she splashed herself in water, it dripped off, sluicing through the valley of her breasts, down her stomach. The transfixed Captain continued to watch, even as he gradually began to shiver, not from cold, but from the raw feeling creeping its way to his gut.

He made to leave quickly when a question occurred to him: why was she here? It made him think immediately of some scenarios…

(SFX: Option one: Remove evidence… X  
Option Two: Meet secret lover…X  
Option three: no idea, insert possible scenario…

Thinking about it in cartoon flowery script seems to have a better effect =))

The mere thought of Chiyuki, in the embrace of some nameless stranger made his blood boil, and he stopped.

Unfortunately, Chiyuki heard the rustle of the leaves. "Who's there?"

* * *

_**To be continued…no, really. See you next time…**_


	33. Chapter 32: Finally, He Confessed

_**For this chapter, readers are urged to prepare one tab/window to music websites. a D.N. Angel song, Ice & Snow. It is recommended to play Ice & Snow for the entire segment until the indication, or you can put it on repeat for the entire story, your choice. You can also play any sad song you can think of, but I recommend this. Thank you ~.**_

* * *

"Who's there?" Chiyuki asked, looking behind.

Through her black locks of hair, her left eye glimmered silver. Her right eye retained its normal blue, Byakuya noted. "Who's there?" Chiyuki asked, clearly slightly panicked.

Panicked? How unlike her. Byakuya stepped out into the light, revealing himself. Chiyuki gasped, her pale face blushing as she averted her eyes. At the same time, the already cold night became colder.

An awkward silence fell over the pair. Neither spoke, the only discernable sound being the rustling leaves. "W-why are y-you here?" Chiyuki stuttered, still not looking at him.

"I was on my nightly walk when I noticed you coming here. I did not expect this spring." Byakuya tonelessly replied. "Pardon my bluntness, but were you waiting for someone?"

"_H-hai_?!" she squeaked. _Guilty as charged, _he thought as she replied "No.", still not facing him.

Byakuya walked over to the spring's edge and caught her face. Holding her eyes to his level, he hissed: "Do not lie, Chiyuki, answer me truthfully."

Her breath quickened at this close proximity as Byakuya stared into those extraordinary eyes, black meeting silver and blue. Her breath washed over him, reminding him that she was here, and possibly available for taking. How he could, and possibly can, steal one kiss from her, and nobody would ever know, such sweet temptation awaiting him…

"No, I am alone tonight." Chiyuki whispered _sotto vace_. "That is the truth."

On hindsight, he should have gotten away fast. Instead, he lowered his lips and covered hers, sliding his tongue to taste.

She gasped, but complied, arching her head back. Weakly, she tried to push away, except that his hold on her chin had not abated, and he had wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer. She could not even move, just to float there helplessly as he lips were ruthlessly ravished over. She wrapped her arms behind his neck, leaning in for the pleasure.

When they finally broke apart, Byakuya looked away with a lowered head. "I apologise, that was uncalled for." He tonelessly said. He straightened, and turned to go.

"Wait!!" Chiyuki heard herself say.

* * *

"Kari, what are you…" Yami screamed in the dim library of Chiyuki's inner world. "Hey you, get away from her!!" Yami was about to take over but was stopped by an arm, clad in blood red silk.

"Don't." Akaichi, the most dominant of Chiyuki's personalities, whispered. "Kari represents that animalistic desire and emotions, just like I represent reason and memory, and you pride and intelligence. Right now, our host is trying to vent her repressed emotions. We should not interfere."

"But, if this continues, Kari will fall for him! Chi Chan, Kari is not prepared, only interested!"

"That will be good." Akaichi whispered. "At least she has an interest, after so long."

* * *

Byakuya stopped in his tracks. _What did she want now, the little vixen…_

He looked back. Chiyuki was standing in the pool, hair dripping, unashamedly straight-backed, and one arm over her chest. Her blue and silver eyes shining even in the dark. How beautiful.

"Yes?" he tentatively voiced.

"Come closer." She whispered. He shuffled forward, unsure of his decision. She bent over and whispered into his ear: "Can you please stay a bit longer?"

He retreated back and stared. "Please, it's a bit lonely here…" she begged, looking with the huge puppy-dog eyes so many admire and squeal over.

What is it about damsels in distress that makes men so helpless, he does not know. "Yes."

"Thank you." she said, smiling slightly. He decided not o think how sexy was that as she climbed out of the water, dried off with a towel from her bundle and began dressing.

As she dressed, he fought a losing battle to watch her slip into an identical suit, complete with hairpin. As she burned the pants, he managed to recover enough tact and reason to hold his hand out, to lead her back, only for her to take it and pull him along. "What are you…?"

"Dance with me, please." She said, spinning about. Taking his hand again, she guided him through a series of meaningless steps.

As they stepped about in the moonlight, he felt a weight in his heart lift, as she laughed, her light feet pattering the grass as she jumped, beautiful as a fairy.

"Act as my lover tonight." She asked, dancing around him. "Just dance with me, like a lover would."

Her steady gaze managed to melt the Kuchiki Ice Block's heart, and so he complied, following her meaningless dance all the way back. Through the forests of Rukongai, the pair of them turned and stepped in harmony, running and jumping, a meaningless yet beautiful prance all the way back.

* * *

_**You can pause here.**_

* * *

The pair of them made it through the security unseen; Byakuya made a mental note to hold a meeting with security as soon as possible. Anyway, as they walked up the steps laughing, Byakuya noticed one very important thing; Chiyuki was barefoot.

"Where are your sandals?" he asked.

"Sandals? Where?" Chiyuki replied, looking down at her bare feet. "I didn't wear them. Lucky thing they didn't bleed, right?"

"Let me see." He ordered; ordered, not asked. So Chiyuki was now seated on a stone bench while the Captain Ice Block inspected every inch of her feet.

"Your feet can almost qualify as a miracle; they aren't blistered from all that dancing." Byakuya commented. "They also don't really smell."

"I kept stepping into the rivers, remember? The last one was only a minute ago, so there's your reason."

"Mmm." Byakuya replied. An awkward silence fell over the two.

"Say, did you have any love interests after Hisana?" Chiyuki tentatively voiced out.

"Why do you ask?" Byakuya replied, surprised. "Didn't you go through my memories?"

"Byakuya Sama." Chiyuki shot back. "My power takes up a lot of energy to use. Furthermore, you may have unconsciously fallen in love and not realised it yet, so I cannot see it. Also, love is one emotion I cannot read, along with faith and hope."

"How surprising. Well…no."

"How odd, considering that it's you." Chiyuki stated, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, what about you?" Byakuya replied. "I do not believe that you did not recover from your previous…boyfriend."

_Damn the idiot to eternal hell._

"I recovered, and I have a few interests, thank you very much."

His blood ran cold. "Who?"he will personally make sure the sap never lived beyond next week.

"The great Kuchiki Byakuya actually possesses curiosity, after all." Chiyuki mused, a faraway dreamy look in her silver and blue eyes. "As a Kitsune, I have a target to seduce. As a person, to carry an unreciprocated torch for. As what I am…" here her eyes were shrouded in shadow. "…to watch and protect in the shadows, never to come to light."

"You speak so philosophically for one so young." He commented. "Are all those interests separate, or all on a single individual, then?" _please be on a single individual. Me._

"How would you react," she replied, "if I said they were all separate, Danna Sama?"

"I would hope that I am the one you carry an unreciprocated torch for." Byakuya muttered, and then clammed up, as if, _did I just say that?_ kind of way.

Up went the eyebrows. "You're not."

Suddenly, Byakuya yanked down on her feet, sending her sliding off the bench and kneeling before him. "In that case, where do I stand?" he whispered, pulling her to him.

"Why are you so curious?" Chiyuki asked, struggling to break out of his iron grip holding her down. Facing him, she asked: "Furthermore, remember, this is an arranged marriage. You don't love me at all."

"Apparently now I do."

* * *

There were a few ways a woman looked like when a man had just confessed to her. Chiyuki looked liked a bomb had just dropped and blown her to bits.

A very, very, awkward silence fell. "It's just concern on your part."

"Most certainly not."

"You've decided this was a real marriage with a happy ending through superb self- hypnosis."

"No."

"You're joking."

"I am not; the talk of Seireitei is that I have no sense of humour."

"You're in severe denial and are now reinforcing the lie you've deluded yourself with."

"Highly possible but no." he had only just realised that he, Kuchiki Byakuya, was falling all over again.

"You're high from drugs."

He raised an eyebrow. "Nonsense."

"you're playing along with my request from just now."

"I no longer want to play and want to make this real."

"My seduction skills are good enough to trick your reason."

"No…wait a minute, yes!"

"There we have it." Chiyuki crowed triumphantly. "Seriously, I think it's a psychological complex called in the human world Stockholm's Syndrome. I have kept you captive with this…union and you have bonded with me, the captor. So tomorrow I suggest you see a counsellor…"

Then again, a Youkai's denial goes a long way.

"It most certainly is not Stockholm's Syndrome." Byakuya replied. "Then again, it is highly possible that you are tricking me by hypnosis and that I am simply here for the ride, only to wake up disoriented and convinced it's a dream and that in reality, none of that ever happened. I found a very interesting book in the library today."

The non sequitor threw her off for a few moments. "Eh?"

"titled, Memoria."

Chiyuki gasped. "That book…"

"It is very interesting." Byakuya continued. "I had no idea how many of those weaknesses are applicable to you though."

He nipped her earlobe with his teeth, scraping it all the way down to the base of her neck. Her breath caught in her throat, and she began to pant almost immediately.

"I guess that is applicable."

* * *

_**What will happen now??**_

_**Finally, he confessed.**_

_**Also, we all know that Chiyuki has three personalities, the most dominant being Akaichi, the 'blood that separates the light from the dark'.**_

_**Please review. **_


	34. Chapter 33:Supreme Coincidences At Work

_**Remember that this FF is predominantly Humour. However, I will still insert some lovely sour lemons somewhere. And, judging from my KHR fanfic, I am damn good at that.**_

_

* * *

_

"Let go of me!!" Chiyuki yelled as she fought tooth and nail to get free.

Byakuya still held her down. "Why?"

"You're probably under severe hypnosis and need immediate medical attention. Now let me go and get the doctor."

_How can anyone lie so seriously is beyond me. _"In that case, then exactly who is hypnotising me? If I correctly recall, Aizen's Kyoka Suigetsu cannot hypnotise long range. You have not tried any contact except to get away, like now, neither of your grandparents has come into eye contact with me, and Sempai is in the real world now." _Furthermore that idiot prefers aphrodisiacs to hypnosis._

"Is it? So can you explain why you, who have not so much as looked at another, are now confessing to me, whom you barely met two weeks ago?" Chiyuki asked, struggling to break his hold on her wrists.

"The realisation of new love and embracing of a possible future." he answered immediately.

"There is no possible future." Chiyuki declared, plain as day. Tearing her right hand free, she covered his eyes, throwing them in darkness and knocking all sense out of him…

* * *

_**One hour later, 4 a.m. in the morning…**_

Byakuya woke up facing the ceiling. He was still in uniform, scarf rather askew and socks still on, lying on his futon and staring at the ceiling. The disorienting feeling rushed round his head, like when one had just woken from a dream or something like it.

_What had happened?_ There was a forest, swords flashing, Valkyries, he was kissing Chiyuki…and he had confessed.

At that very moment, had some crazy ninja tried to assassinate him, Byakuya would have happily stuck his neck out. Why had he confessed to her, knowing that she probably never would reciprocate? That she looked only at someone else…or had it all been a dream? He does not know, but the dizzy feeling increases and scrambles his thoughts. Tired, he collapses back into the futon.

The leaves in the garden rustle. Through the cracks in the screens leading to the gardens, a red leaf moves, rustling gently indoors…

Wait. How did that leaf get in? He got up and looked at it. The leaf rustles and flies, propelled by the wind blowing into his room, and lands on a pair of soft hands…attached to _her._

Leaning closer, he studies Chiyuki's face. She is seated cross-legged, her back flush against the far wall, head lolling back asleep. As he continued to watch, a blush formed over her face, transforming the pale white hue to a pale pink, not so obvious in the dark, but nevertheless refreshing. Her black hair comes over her shoulder, trailing the length over it, the delicate column of her neck and down to the centre of her kosode, accentuating the soft curve of her chest.

"…shh, shh…"her breath sounded as it whistled out between her lips. "Don't go…" she mumbled, loud enough to reach Byakuya. He leaned closer.

"Please, don't go, don't leave me alone…stay with me forever…" she mumbled again, her breath getting faster. "Wait…"

_She talks in her sleep? _

The room was getting cold again. Nine white tails appeared behind her, waving about erratically as she cried out. Tears dropped from her eyes as she silently cried, not conveying any sound at all.

Needless to say, he panicked straightaway in the face of her tears. He held her in his arms, all the while comforting her: "It's all right; I'm not going anywhere…".The tails wound loosely around him, holding the pair in their embrace.

From far away, thunder clapped.

* * *

Chiyuki woke up, her vision blurry from sleep-crying. No, this was not a joke, as diagnosed from the doctor, who joked that this was the first ever case of sleep-crying he'd ever seen. It's not funny, people.

Either way, when she woke up and saw an expanse of black, her first thoughts were that she'd cried herself blind [again, it's not funny]. Then, as a familiar scent washed over her, she realised one very, very horrible truth: that currently, she had her face buried in the chest of the one man she'd rather not.

Even worse, she could hear him breathing into her ear.

"I was crying just now, right?"

"Yes."

"You just happened to wake up, and faced with this moral dilemma, you just acted as common sense dictates."

"Yes."

"Now you probably want to know why I'm here, correct?"

"Yes."

"Er…how do you put it…you fell asleep early and I felt a bit lonely, so…"

"Chiyuki."

She almost stopped breathing. "Yes?"

"Tonight was not a dream, I was not dreaming, so cut the act. You knocked me out, carried me in…"

"Half dragged, half carried. You're too heavy to fully carry."

"Fine, and then you settled me on the futon, and then?"

"Then I was returning when security rushed in, saying that they've caught an assassin in the room and that Jorogumo was doing unspeakable things to the assassin, so they told me to stay here until they could get rid of the body, I mean, bits and piec- the evidence."

Silence. "I see. Is Jorogumo finished with the bits and pie- I mean, the evidence, yet?"

"No. They have to sew the pieces back and dump the…thing somewhere. So either way, I waited here until I fell asleep."

"Oh, really? I just found out something very cute."

_Cute? The world has just fallen apart. _"What?"

"You seduce even in your sleep."

And that's just when she figured out exactly where his hand was behind her. "What are you…?" she cried out, struggling to get away.

"Complying with the hypnotic spell you seem to have cast." Byakuya replied. "Now then, about that book…"

"What book?" she was struggling to keep her wits about, but it proved to be as fruitless as keeping his hand away from her ass [Where did you think his hand was, people?].

"This one." Byakuya said, pulling out the leather-bound thin tome from his kosode.

Chiyuki stared at it. The 'Memoria' word was written in gilt, catching what little light in the room at four-thirty in the morning. Byakuya began to rub the spine of it, sending shivers up a spine of a different sort and her tails thrashing about.

"Byakuya, where did you…" Words failed her as another shiver ran through her spine. Sudden realisation still managed to dawn though.

"The story was very interesting and informative. Now then…" he discarded the book to the side, sweeping Chiyuki back into his arms, "I need to study you, my dear. What did you mean when you say that there is no future?"

On cue, Rukia walks in, fresh from her trip from the human world. "N-Nii Sama?"

The tails disappears; the pair of them stares at the diminutive Shinigami.

[SFX: Arrow to pair: very guilty position. Arrow to Rukia: Witness to guilt.]

"Er… I think I have intruded on something, perhaps I should come again later…" Rukia said, edging out. "That's a great idea. I need to wash up now." Chiyuki replied, smiling. "Have a good sleep, Danna Sama." she said to Byakuya, getting up and walking to the door.

The Shoji screen shut with finality in its tone…

* * *

"Ukitake Taichou, I did something really bad…"

And so Ukitake found himself counselling Rukia on what to do when you walk in on your brother and sister-in-law.

"This is really bad, but don't worry, I'll talk to Byakuya about it and your training with Orihime San, so you can stop crying already."Ukitake replied. "Even so, there may still be problems…"

"Problems, Ukitake Taichou?"

"Yes, your return may just remind him of his late wife again."

* * *

The Sixth Division freaked out that day, when the Captain came in, a dark aura hanging around him. Overhead, the sky rumbled ominously, like Kuchiki Byakuya's temper had the power to affect the weather. Forks of lightning lit up the dark clouds over the Division administrative offices as all the Shinigami thought: 'holy shit, what happened?? Our normally stoic, cool and composed Captain is angry!!!'

When the paperwork was delivered, he glared at it with such loathing that the unlucky person there swore that he smelled burning paper.

Either way, his bad mood did not abate at all and only served to worsen when Ukitake walked into the office. While Ukitake was in there, Byakuya listened silently, but thunder boomed successively and lightning lit the sky overhead throughout the entire time.

When Isane walked in, a bolt of lightning actually came down and struck the cherry blossom tree furthest from the offices.

When a group of Shinigami reported tardy, lightning struck one tree for every one of the poor saps late. A total of five trees were fried this way.

When Yamamoto SouTaichou looked out over his balcony an hour later, the last of the smoke was still clearing away.

* * *

Chiyuki stared at all six of the charred cherry blossom trees, rather amazed. The tri-tier bento box, wrapped in cloth she was holding was in danger of falling out of her hands as she continued to stare at the charred tree stumps.

As she continued to stare, another tree was in danger as a new recruit walked into the office, bearing a huge stack of what ominously looked like damage reports from his expression. True enough, another bolt came down from the sky, frying another tree, this one a foot away from her, into extra crispy.

_Coincidence much??_ Probably; no Shinigami could summon lightning at will yet. Not like Byakuya was the only Shinigami in the whole of Soul Society.

Blinking slightly, she walked into the office unseen, where Byakuya was multi-tasking paperwork and telling off his subordinate, politely, of course, though rather condescending. "I asked for Form number six hundred, not seven hundred and fifty."

"Sorry, Taichou!!!" The new recruit replied nervously, all but running for the door before he caught sight of Chiyuki. "Er, who might you be looking for…?"

Byakuya looked up from his paperwork. The recruit swore later that he saw something like surprise flicker in the Captain's eyes, but it faded soon enough as the recruit walked out. "Chiyuki? Why are you here?"

"You forgot to take this." Chiyuki said, setting the box onto the only place not covered by sheets of pulp: in front of him. "Cook San was complaining about food wastage as I was about to go out, so I decided to bring this along, since no servant dares to go near the office today. Also, tomorrow there might be a bill for seven cherry trees coming in, so I hope you have a replacement tree waiting somewhere."

"A bill? Why?"

Chiyuki pointed to the window. "See for yourself."

Byakuya stared out in surprise. "What a coincidence."

"I agree."

As Byakuya continued writing, she grabbed a nearby chair and settled herself, all the while staring at him. "Didn't you have someplace to go?" _unless it's here…_

"Yes, but Cook San also mentioned your tendency to skip meals recently, so I'll make sure you eat first." She replied.

He stared at her; she stared back, both sides engaged in a battle of wills, which she won, celebrating with a smile as Byakuya picked up his chopsticks. "Curry?" he asked, looking into the dish.

"Don't complain, eat." "Itadakimasu."

Under her watchful gaze, the Captain could do nothing but comply. Within a half hour, the curry was finished.

"Gochisosama. I do not think you have eaten yet." He added, closing the black lacquered box. "After all, it is only twelve in the afternoon."

"I'm eating with Rukia."

"Glad that you get along so well."

All of a sudden, her face was really close to his. "You have a spot of curry here." She replied, eyes glinting _silver_ as she licked _his_ lips. "Seems like even you are still human after all."

Then, her eyes back to blue, she headed for the door. "I'm not going back for dinner, but I'll be back for the meeting." She said over her back.

As she walked out, she noticed that the sky seemed as clear as it was yesterday. As she walked out, the Shinigami all noticed that the Captain's mood has improved, though the sky overhead still boomed, almost threateningly…

* * *

_**Please review ~**_


	35. Chapter 34:This is Rukongai, Be Free

_**Next we will see: can Chiyuki get along safely with Rukia and Orihime? Within one month, how will it develop?**_

_**Note that this is based on the anime. By some extreme luck, I managed to fit my story into a lot of plot holes, and I didn't even need a reference for the past thirty-something chapters…until now…**_

_

* * *

_

Chiyuki watched as the two girls fought. Rukia's swordplay was a bit slow, and the other girl's, Orihime, apparently has motor control issues, but other than that, the pair battle seamlessly, getting off more than injuries.

Chiyuki held the empty box, watching from the side of the Thirteenth barracks. Silvers of ice flew past her, but they never actually struck. The flame burning beside her saw that any impudent silvers were melted immediately.

"Okay, lunch break." Chiyuki called to the two, who stopped fighting immediately.

As the trio settled to have their _bento_s, they discussed each other moves, improvements. Almost abruptly, the subject turned to romance.

"Chiyuki San is married to Byakuya San, right?" Orihime asked, scarfing down her rice.

"Yes, what about it?" Chiyuki replied warily. The last thing she wanted to talk about was romance. "The paper was signed about a fortnight ago."

"Well, I kinda think that I met Chiyuki San somewhere in the human world during that time." Orihime said, awkwardly still reaching for another fluffy ball of rice. "Even so, I think that's a good thing. Byakuya San is a good person at heart."

_You sure did, kid. Two weeks ago O Baa Sama dragged me to the human world for, of all things, underwear. I saw you in the store, buying a bra so big it could only be a C-cup. The curses of eidetic memory and perfect recall, except, how do I tell you that? Furthermore, good or not, I still can't interfere with this battle. This is where you two girls come in…_

"No way, you must have been mistaken." Chiyuki replied. "And furthermore, I already know that Byakuya is a nice person. He's just so…icy. I understand his past and all that, but I still…"

"But, Nee Sama, what about this morning?" Rukia interjected.

"Forget it. You two go back to train. Rukia, you're not coming back tonight, right?"

"Hai, Nee Sama."

"I'll tell Cook San then. Oh and…"

"What is it, Chiyuki San?" Orihime asked.

"Can you two train with me?"

* * *

Kuchiki Rukia and Inoue Orihime learned two very sad truths today: One is that Kuchiki-Kazumi Chiyuki was capable of bullying the nearby Eleventh Division to give up one of Ikkaku's prized staffs.

The second was that Chiyuki was more terrifying than even an Arrancar.

Rukia, like all Shinigami, had originally underestimated her sister-in-law, had gone easy and had her ass handed back on a platter. Orihime could not attack and only defended herself.

"Nice shield." Chiyuki commented as she rained blows upon the triangular shield. "Let's see..."

Focusing reiatsu into one point of her fist, she let loose the blow. The shield remained intact for a while, then shattered. "Interesting. Rukia, your turn. Remember, you're aiming to kill the opponent. Since Hime Chan has no personality to attack, she will be the defense. Tag team battle; if you win, I'll give a reward, okay? "

Rukia ran straight, Sode no Shirayuki held high and preparing to strike. Chiyuki swung the staff around her left hand, allowing the staff to swing about the pivot of her left hand and use the turning effect to knock the Zanpakutou out. Holding the other end at Rukia's chin, she held it there and then moved the end in.

Santen Kesshun materialised before impact, absorbing it and leaving Rukia to retrieve her sword. "Good tag. Now then, let's continue. The previous one was a warm up. I'm not letting you go easy!"

"Nee Sama, is your eyes glowing?" Rukia asked, noticing the bright silver flicker.

"Huh? Of course not." she replied, drawing out a compact from her kosode to check. "What time is it?"

"Three thirty."

"Oh, right. Sorry, I have another appointment to keep, so…" Chiyuki was edging for the exit already.

"Nee Sama." Rukia said. "Are you thinking of something?"

"Huh? No…bye! See you tomorrow!" Chiyuki said with a false smile on her face as she jogged away.

A long way off, Byakuya followed.

* * *

After walking three kilometres, Chiyuki came to a stop in the middle of the deserted Second District. "I know you're there, so come out, Byakuya Sama."

"I believe that first names actually gave you power over someone else, Chiyuki." He shot back, stepping out behind her.

"It's a bit hard to hide nobility here. And what's more, if I exercise enough control, then maybe you won't have to listen to my orders. Either way, you're out here, right?"

"True, but what is your reason to visit the Second District? I believe not even the Kazumi family would step here."

_Listen to yourself; the Kazumi family could almost be the only nobility that come out here on foot. _"I have business." She replied, heading for a nearby hut.

"What kind…?" words failed as she knocked on the door, and who should come out but a blonde-haired man named Kiba, followed by a dowdily dressed woman with sharp eyes, a sharp nose and straight brown hair.

"Ojou Sama, thank you for visiting." The two bowed, with Chiyuki following suit.

"No problem, glad to see that you two are settled fine."

"All thanks to Ojou and Bocchama." _Bocchama: young master, so it should refer to Sempai, _Byakuya thought. The two looked happy, but coming from a person who didn't know these two from jack, Byakuya didn't say anything.

"Would you like to come in for tea?" the woman asked.

"No thank you, I have a…problem to settle." Chiyuki said, motioning to Byakuya behind her. The two nodded understandingly, almost symphatically, as they closed the door…

* * *

"That was freaking awkward." Chiyuki told him later. "Don't ever follow…oh, wait, why am I saying this?"

Byakuya raised an eyebrow at her choice of words. "Freaking? Such an odd word to come out of a lady's mouth."

"This is Rukongai; in Rukongai, O Jii Sama always says to act like them so that no attention is drawn to us. This also helps to blow off some steam too, since we're not all like you. Life is too short to be polite all the time; sometimes we must also be deliberately condescending, but no actual rudeness is needed."

"How…" _I have completely no idea what to say._

"Weird, but sensible. That was what you were saying, correct?" chiyuki finished his sentence. Both hands drawn behind her head, she walked on.

"Yes. Who were those two, by the way?" _isn't he supposed to be dead?_

"Er…it's none of your concern." Chiyuki replied. _She doesn't know I overheard._

"I see. Where are you going?" Byakuya asked as she took a different road instead of the way back.

"Practice." She replied, a hint of a grin somewhere on her face. "Want to come with?"

* * *

They reached a large clearing in the forest, surrounded by huge rocks of lethality stone. As they walk around, he notices that some parts were burned, some looked frozen and rotting, some looked shredded, and some looked like concentrated acid got on it. Even worse was the ground, which looked like Crater Central turned flat pancake. "What happened here?"

"This is one of the Kazumi training grounds." Chiyuki replied. "There are a total of five training grounds spread throughout all of Soul Society, all more or less like this. The largest is in Seireitei itself. Don't worry," she added to a stricken-looking Byakuya, "its underground, in the Kazumi manor itself. The clearing is completely surrounded by lethality stone so that no reiatsu escapes. This also comes in useful when…we hold parties. Very noisy parties." She looked nostalgic at the trees nearby, part charred, part rotted. Byakuya admired her, serene and calm now.

"Now then, draw your sword." Chiyuki said imperiously, snapping back into her serious mode. The temperature dropped.

"You cannot hope to…" his words faltered as she ran towards him and kicked. He barely dodged, defending as she aimed her hand towards him. She grabbed his kosode and, using her centre of gravity, threw him over her knee. He recovered in midair, landing on his feet.

"Impressive skill." He said, acknowledging it with a nod.

"There is little I cannot hope for." She hissed at him, eyes glowing ethereally. "Do not underestimate me; I was trained to fight."

"Still, allow me to ask you one thing: why is it that with all your skill, you are not in the Gotei Juusantai? With your skill, you would have qualified as a seated officer, possibly even as a Lieutenant."

As his meaning dawned on her, she looked down. "I am neutral and side with none. Also, my reiatsu is unstable. Perhaps in a few more years I can do so, but now it is not possible."

"Nonsense, your power was extremely controlled just now." Nothing froze.

"Should I cut loose, you would have been either burned or frozen. See now, the sky agrees." she replies as thunder boomed.

_How much power do you have? _"To what extent are you going to delude yourself? You are powerful and controlled, furthermore you can learn if you enrol in the Academy." he told her angrily.

"You do not know my true power; my combat skills are old hat. The Central Forty-Six refused to acknowledge my power; it is too strong to be controlled. I can see and control memories, Byakuya Sama."

"I know what about it?"

She held out her hand, where a white book appeared, and then glowed, turning into a long katana with square guard, white hilt and silver blade. "Looks familiar, doesn't it, Byakuya." She asked, hair turning white, eyes mockingly silver. "Memories are not only interconnected; they hold power. And your memories can be tapped into to grant me power."

His eyes widened as she held the blade parallel to her face, muttering: "Scatter, Senbonzakura."

* * *

September, in the forest, sakura petals flew about. This is super wrong; the petal season was over.

Sakura clashed on sakura as husband and wife fought. -.-

Byakuya was fighting to defend himself; Chiyuki had gone crazy, wildly laughing like Kenpachi as the petals danced around her, slashing Byakuya. "How does it feel to have your own power against you, Danna Sama?" she mocked as another shred of cloth came off his sleeve. Nine tails appeared behind her, waving about. "It feels so good, to slash and slash. I can certainly see Sen's appeal."

_Good, no grammatical errors in speech; she's still there._ "Chiyuki, wake up!"

She stops; the petals fall around her and form back to a sword, then to a book, and then finally…thin air. She falls over; he shunpo'ed and caught her in his arms. She was crying, sobbing uncontrollably into his kosode: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to; I lost control…Nii Sama, help me…don't, stay away, don't get hurt…"

He held her close to him, as Sen reformed beside him, the autumn petals falling around the two in embrace…

Byakuya finally understood her; little more than a girl, yet born with so much knowledge, so much uncontrollable power, and so many memories. As he held her, memories flashed through his sight…

_The sunsets of Rukongai…a red-haired child playing, an orange-haired boy crying beside a canal, that garish shade that could only be Kurosaki…a blue-haired boy, crying beside the bloody corpse of an old man…a boy, stoic as he watched his grandfather lowered into a hole six feet under…a little girl, screaming "Don't go!! Don't leave me alone!!!"…cries and shrieks of battles, clashes of swords, women and children crying, sobbing, and screaming in fear…_

* * *

She laid there, completely at his mercy, sobbing as he comforted her, shivering from the cold she exuded. When she finally calmed down two hours later, she stayed still for good measure, and then got up to look at him. Her eyes were puffy; even so, she was still rather fetching, if he had to say so.

"I am once again very sorry for my bouts of weaknesses. It seems that they are coming in droves as of late. Rest assured that this is not your concern and…" her words stayed within her as Byakuya sealed her lips with his.

"This is Rukongai." He whispered close to her. "A measure of freedom is allowed."

* * *

_**I think there's something wrong, please review…**_


	36. Chapter 35:Prepare to Die, Kurosaki

_**This is one reason why I love reviews. Just now, an anonymous review was posted:**_

_** By Dont wanna use it:  
**_

Where is the kill Ichigo cause he's sleeping with Rukia? I want to see that! And chiyuki can help too!

_**I did a few grammatical corrections due to a phobia of wrong grammar, but otherwise it's all there. And this got me thinking: what more incentive to kill Ichigo 'cause he interrupted their *cough* private *cough* moment? It's completely illogical to kill a guy 'cause he's sleeping with your younger, previously innocent sister and he defiled her with his devil spawn or something like it; at most that merits cutting off some lovely appendages. No, there must be extra…bwahahaha…**_

_**Title of Chapter: Prepare to die, Kurosaki.**_

_

* * *

_

It was in the middle of an oncoming attack of Hakuren and Koten Zanshun that a Senkaimon opened, and who should step out but everybody's favourite Substitute Shinigami, who got Tsubaki in the solar plexus and Hakuren in the back.

"Ichigo!!" "Kurosaki Kun!!" Rukia and Orihime shouted as they headed towards the ice monolith Popsicle that was now Kurosaki Ichigo.

After about two hours, where twenty Shakkahou, ten Soukatsui, and one Koten Zanshun were employed in the task, they freed Ichigo from certain death by hypothermia. Though compared to the extremely bloody death awaiting him later, hypothermia would have been infinitely preferable.

"I'll go get a medic. Rukia San, you stay here and continue to melt the ice in Kurosaki Kun's limbs!" Orihime called as she ran off to get said medic. _Hold on, isn't she a medic? Get Souten Kisshun out! _Rukia was about to shout, but Orihime winked and sped off.

"Ichigo, how were you so stupid as to walk headlong into an attack!?" Rukia scolded him as she held a Shakkahou nearby, melting his frozen left arm. "How the hell should I know? Hat n' Clogs just opened the door and pushed me in! I was running from the giant Cleaner for my life!!" Ichigo replied, wincing as his arm regained all feeling.

"Why were you here in the first place?" Rukia yelled back, now starting on the right arm.

"Er…I wanted to see you." Ichigo muttered, still wincing as he exercised his left arm.

"What?" Rukia pretended not to hear, melting the left leg now.

"I WANTED TO SEE YOU, DAMMIT!!"Ichigo yelled, loud enough for all of Seireitei to hear, and possibly beyond the lethality stone walls.

* * *

Somewhere in the Second district, Byakuya was interrupted by a certain teenager's yell.

"Kurosaki." Byakuya tonelessly said to no one in particular, "Prepare to die."

"What do you know, the kid's here? Let's dismember him." Chiyuki agreed. "Gimme his appendages. Especially the dangly bits." her eyes began to glow.

"Rest assured that I will rip off his testicles and lay them at your feet." Byakuya said as he picked her up bridal-style.

"Aw, you're such a romantic." She cooed back. "But I really don't need the imagery, and where are you…" The pair shunpo'ed off, eager for a Substitute Shinigami's blood.

* * *

Rukia was still working on Ichigo's ice problem, and was in the act of it when Ichigo kissed her lips. And the Terrible Twosome arrived to witness.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, prepare to die." Byakuya tonelessly said as the two broke off in shock, Sen out and ready for blood.

"Byakuya?" Ichigo coughed out, jumping to his feet. "Er, I can explain…"

"Is there an explanation for deflowering my sister?" Byakuya asked coldly, moving into a stance.

"Hold on, how did you know that??!!" Ichigo yelled, leaping away as a Soukatsui hit where he was a split second ago. "I don't think Rukia told you…" he clammed up as Rukia glared at him.

"Ichigo Kun." Chiyuki equally coldly told him as she stood behind. He turned around. "Please look at this." she said, holding up a certain page copied from a manga called _Moon that Shocked the Sky._[title's obvious enough, right?]

If the previous page was any indication, you would know that Chiyuki can read people's memories in a book format, and that Kurosaki's was written in manga. So, it was in those pages that span two sections that Ichigo remembered his first...time and witnessed it in drawing, he busy thrusting into Rukia's virgin ******…

"Where did you…" he shut up as a sakura petal flew past his face, leaving a scar there.

"Die." both said simultaneously.

* * *

"Byakuya Sama." Chiyuki asked later, as the pair shunpo'ed around after a scarpering Kurosaki.

"Yes?"

"Please, put me down, I can run on my own."

"It would be faster if I carried you." He pointed out.

"No thank you, I do not want your sexual harassment." his hand was currently cradling her butt, but she assumed he knew and was ignoring it in his own weird, silent and stoic way.

"Excuse me?" he was smirking, the jerk.

"Let me go." She said, jumping out of Byakuya's bridal style hold and running off.

Byakuya tried top recall if he did anything remotely close to that…none. He shrugged it off and chased after Kurosaki.

So the strawberry was being chased by two people.

One was the slightly overprotective adoptive brother, fighting to defend his sister's honour [or whatever notions it was the nobility fought to defend; More likely just an excuse to beat the crap out of Kurosaki].

On the other hand is the more overprotective sister-in-law, fighting to beat the crap out of him for pointless reasons of her own. Possibly because of boredom or something like that, Ichigo couldn't fathom. He couldn't ever understand a human woman, let alone her. Rukia was an exception.

Makes you wonder which possibility is more dangerous…

* * *

Ichigo ran around the maze that was Seireitei, escaping the wrath of a certain captain. He was probably somewhere around the fourth when a huge wall of ice came in, blocking his path. "What the…?" the strawberry shouted, and then spied Chiyuki standing on the ice wall. "Chiyuki San…"

"Personally I don't like Byakuya's approach to this problem." Chiyuki said. "Still, I admit this is extremely fun."

"You mean when he was carrying you? Or when you were chasing me?" Ichigo hazarded a guess. "Or…maybe when his hand was all but up your pants, Chiyuki San?"Her expression immediately froze. Even under duress, Kurosaki was still a smart mouth.

"Little boy, when the last of the cold fades away, may your manhood forever freeze for insulting me." She said sweetly. "_Hime no meide, watashi ga Hikari ga yobidasu_!" her left eye now glowed, right eye dimming to blue.

The frost came down.

* * *

"You didn't need to freeze him, did you?" Rukia asked for the fifth time since Chiyuki had dragged the strawberry Popsicle back for thawing.

"He ran to hide in an industrial size fridge. I closed the door. Oh, Byakuya Sama." She lied and acknowledged the Captain behind Rukia.

Byakuya had returned to the Thirteenth barracks, now glaring at the Popsicle. He smirked at the strawberry's incredulous expression, the brown eyes flashing in panic. "Perhaps we should freeze him forever."

"Nii Sama! He is needed in the War, right? Nee Sama, please unfreeze him." Rukia begged.

"Oh, alright. Danna Sama, ready your sword." Chiyuki barked, electricity gathered around her fingers. "_Hadou no yon, Byakurai_."

A bolt of lightning shot out of her index and middle fingers, melting the ice and freeing the strawberry. Before said strawberry could escape, sakura petals engulfed him, and a second Senkaimon appeared not far from the group.

An hour later, once Byakuya had deemed the strawberry warned enough and sent him on his way, and once Chiyuki had ensured that the pair made to use contraceptives, and once Orihime managed to heal the second ice problem, the pair got back to the Kuchiki manor, where a hot dinner, a change of clothes, and baths were provided. Not necessarily in that order, more the reverse.

You think, how uncreative is that, but stay tuned, for the next page is coming right up, where the Kuchiki elders finally meet Chiyuki.

* * *

_**Stay tuned, please review…**_

_**I censored a word to keep in with the rating...can't say I didn't try, right? Please insert whatever words you lot can think of; leaves more to the imagination.  
**_


	37. Chapter 36:A Story of Those of the Night

_**Without further ado, please allow me to indulge…**_

* * *

When they got back a full three hours later [two to beat the shit out of Kurosaki, half to heal him, half to throw him back], Byakuya and Chiyuki made it back before six thirty.

As the pair stepped in, the servants remained expressionless at his state of dress, Chiyuki's blushing and their apparent less-than-perfect state of their clothes. Needless to say, laughing sounds were heard at several intervals of the hallways later, leading people to conclude that yes, the Kuchiki Manor was haunted. By what exactly, nobody knows, nobody wants to know.

* * *

Dinner was as awkward as always; silent. Even Byakuya himself, who saw silence as the music of God, found it too silent. Chiyuki did not seem fazed, though he noticed her eyes darting about as she ate.

As they assembled after dinner in the dark Main Room, Byakuya could still hear complaints of stomach-ache, food poisoning and other miscellaneous gastric problems. _Seems like last night's tofu really did a number on them. What was in it? _

Straight off the bat, they got the meeting underway, starting with the least important items: find a new cook, or failing that, a new supplier. Byakuya defended the cook to the very utmost, and considering that the tofu was really proven to be poisoned during manufacture, the Elders could not really refuse. The cook got to keep his job, and the supplier was missing, but 'investigations were underway' [privately, Byakuya wondered if they could find him even if a map was provided and he didn't even move].

Then, the meeting settled a few more items, such as the recent records, keeping the archives the Kuchiki prided themselves on up to date, and finally…

"I was aware that an assassin was caught yesterday, trying to poison the Lady Kuchiki." One of the senior Elders, a stooping old man named Kuchiki Akihiko, brought up.

_Yeah, like we all don't know that you sent him, _Byakuya thought uncharitably. Akihiko was actually married to Ginrei's first cousin and his son would have been clan leader…if not for Byakuya's very existence. Doubtlessly, he would have been frightened over the possible mandate the Lady held.

"Bring the prisoner up." Akihiko continued, oblivious. Chiyuki raised an eyebrow at him, as if hardly daring that such a person actually existed.

"Sir, the prisoner is…dead." The guards reported. "What? After all the trouble the Lady went to capture him." Akihiko said. "My Lady, my apologies, it seems like we are unable to redress the injustice done unto you."

"That is forgivable, Akihiko Sama." Chiyuki replied smoothly. "Still, may I enquire; what did he die of?"

"Poisoning, my Lady." The guard replied, bowing.

"Very well, the next step is to find his employer. I want a description of him circulated out in the Sixtieth to Seventieth Districts. Also, search for Kuroda Hayate in the district records of said districts. Perhaps we can narrow down the field." Chiyuki ordered. _Yeah right, as if that's going to do anything._

"Understood." The guard stiffly said. "You may be dismissed." She told him.

Byakuya decided to break the tension and drop the penny. "Now, on to the next thing: Akihiko Sama, about the accounts…"

"Yes, Lord Kuchiki?" Akihiko inquired.

"There is a certain problem, it seems sums of money have been periodically disappearing since you took over the family's accounting." A servant handed out files as he spoke. "As you can see, certain sums are not accounted for in the register. Furthermore, it seems that your spending, on the other hand, has increased almost threefold since your taking over six months ago. Would you care to explain?"

The situation was tense. "No, I am afraid I cannot offer an explanation, Lord Kuchiki. However, I will make every effort to investigate where it goes."

"Forget it, Akihiko. This applies to the archival budget too. On the next page is the register for the last month. Large sums of money have been misappropriated and disappeared from all other records. The only reason was if you had been changing the books."

"No, I have not done that." Akihiko pleaded. Several of the Elders were beginning to murmur among themselves. "Believe me, Lord Kuchiki."

"So we should take your word over this?" Byakuya asked as Chiyuki produced a brown envelope and dumped the contents in front of him. "This is photographic proof of you and your son in a _pleasure house_, of all places." Byakuya said, disdain evident in his voice. "Furthermore, according to the records, your wife could not have bought such an expensive kimono only six weeks ago. I have traced all the businesses under the Kuchiki name and uncovered several irregularities with the accounts that have been handled by you. I am ashamed that you would even cheat us.

I now pledge to retire Kuchiki Akihiko from all access to the funds, save for his pension. Are there any that disagree with me?"

None dared to say anything. Akihiko was immediately stripped of all his jobs and after settling who to take over, the meeting came to the last item on its list.

"Excuse me," Chiyuki said, "but I can't seem to find a few books in the Kuchiki archives."

"Why, that is impossible, the Kuchiki archives are always up to date." The head archivist, Kuchiki Ryo, replied. "What books are you looking for, Lady Kuchiki?"

"_Ukiyo no Monogatari, Yume to Seirei, _and_ Maju to Ou."_ Chiyuki said, rattling off a list of books.

At this, the room's entire demeanour changed. "Lady Kuchiki, the books you were referring to were removed to the Royal Archives five hundred years ago." Ryo replied. "It is impossible to find them there now."

"What exactly happened five centuries ago?" Chiyuki asked innocently. "I do not think the Royal archives would interfere unless it was a grave matter of security."

"Er…perhaps I should inform you at the end of the meeting." Ryo suggested. To Byakuya, it looked like he was panicking.

As the meeting ended, Akihiko stood and stayed there. Everybody froze, expecting a scene to break out.

"You little brat." Akihiko angrily said. "My son should have been clan Head, not you!! Why did you have to come to this world!!!?"

Saying so, he drew out a tanto and ran straight on, waving the sharp blade about. Byakuya was about to disarm him when he ran for Chiyuki instead. _Chiyuki…_he turned, but he knew he was too late to stop the old man anyway.

Chiyuki knocked the blade out of his hand and drew a tanto of her own out at his throat. "Akihiko Sama, know one thing; should you even succeed in killing Byakuya Sama, your efforts are useless. The Kazumi House _always_ returns the favour." She said, an icy tone creeping into her voice.

Just then, two guards ran in, announcing the death of Kuchiki Fuyuki and Kuchiki Natsu.

"My son…" Akihiko mumbled, tears welling up. "Fuyuki...I…"

"And, do you know the punishment for treason, Akihiko Sama?" Chiyuki asked, her eyes now glinting silver. Akihiko stood transfixed. "Why are your eyes…?"

"For attempting to attack me is equal to attacking the clan head, Byakuya Sama," Chiyuki continued, "I will attack in self-defense. Such like you need no trial; the judges you bribe will not judge you." She leaned closer and whispered: "Remember that though I cannot prove that you sent Hayate San, or that you killed him, your son's death would have been averted if not for you." She flicked her finger at his forehead, giving him all the memories of the deaths.

And so, he was forced to relieve the last moments of Kuchiki Fuyuki's life as guards dragged him away, screaming.

All the other Elders shivered as she turned onto them, and announced: "From now on, all weapons stay where I can see them, okay?"  


* * *

"I have never held more respect for a woman than right now." Ryo appraisingly said as he sipped tea in another room with the Lord and Lady.

"Indeed, I have never seen such efficient, swift and cruel punishment." Ryo continued. "Such are the legends of the Kazumi House indeed."

"Thank you." Chiyuki cut him off. "Now then, please tell me the story; I always did love a good story." She added. "The art of storytelling is preserved by the Kazumi, yet none know of what happened five hundred years ago, and not even O Baa Sama would tell me. It piqued my curiosity to read on, yet books are sadly lacking."

"Of course; I am glad to see that the Lady has an interest in history," Ryo replied, pointedly glancing at Byakuya, who mutedly looked away. "Unlike some people. Then again, you are rather proficient at the sword as well."

"Thank you, now the story, please. The night grows old." Chiyuki pointed out.

"Very well then, Lady Kuchiki…"

"Chiyuki will do. This is an informal meeting; treat it like you never said anything afterwards."

"Very well then… Chiyuki Sama. Understand that anything I say should be considered fiction and not fact.

Five centuries ago there existed spirits of nature. Beyond our understanding and powerful beyond dreams, these spirits of nature were considered strange and otherworldly, neither Shinigami nor Hollow, sentient beings that were not human, or animal, but spirits nevertheless. Legend called them Youkai, using the characters of the words 'strange' and 'otherworldly' to describe these who walked the nights freely."

Ryo's voice rang out, and Byakuya finally understood the power a good story had; such that led his imagination wild.

"Strangest of all was their Kings, the nine strongest of them. With eight commanding the four elements as well as ice, wood, metal and lightning, and led by the strongest of the Kings, they ruled the nights of the real world, but could also walk freely in our world, and possibly even Hueco Mundo, though that was not ever proven. However, with developing human activity into their world, they began to shun company, and was thought to have disappeared altogether.

Then, five centuries ago, some fled to Soul Society, seeking asylum among the souls here. Led by the strongest King and a few other Kings, while the rest of the Kings chose to remain behind, they petitioned for permission to stay in Soul Society.

The Spirit King tested his power on the strongest, and found that they were unaffected by life, death, space or even time. They who had escaped the sway of Time's pendulum were now before him, and would still live even when the Spirit King himself was dead, gone, and forgotten. Ruled by fear of these creatures, the Spirit king waged war against them.

However, he was soon defeated repeatedly; such was the power the Kings held. Finally, when the King was about to give up and all hope was lost…" here Ryo paused for effect. The other two stayed silent.

"…the strongest of the Kings, termed as the Night King, surrendered."

_Huh??? _Byakuya was shocked at such an illogical move.

"Doubtlessly, the entire Court was shocked beyond coherent speech. The apparent reason was that he had promised Soul Society's crown to a woman, an ordinary woman who had the whole army to kneel at her feet, and who was now dead. Having lost all reason to fight, he now surrendered.

So, a pact of agreement was sealed, with the Night King imprisoned within this very pact, and with both sides to witness. Known in legend as the Covenant of Kings, this agreement gave the Youkai a place to settle, on condition that they should not walk in the day; and in exchange, the Spirit King could have any wish granted. Except that the King had not banked on one term; the agreement would only last five centuries, after which the Night King will finally be free to walk the halls of time forever. Here the story ends." Ryo concluded, sweeping his arm out in a theatrical fashion.

Byakuya looked at Chiyuki, who sat silently, watching Ryo, who looked expectantly back. "Thank you for such an amazing story. Perhaps tomorrow I can find these books with this in mind." She replied graciously.

As they left, Chiyuki dropped a piece of paper near Ryo, who stooped to pick it up, and froze, an expression of shock all over his face at the words:

暗闇の友人、留意しなさい。  
一連の吠え声から動かしなさい。  
王はあなたの不快感に夜から、そこに、  
夢回る侵入する。  
そして次に神がころぶ場合、  
彼はそれをすべて要求することを来る。  
それは瑠璃の前になされる,  
三人の約束である。

_Kurayami no yuujin, ryuui shinasai.  
Ichiren no hoe koe kara ugoka shinasai.  
Ou haanatano fukaikan ni yoru kara, sokoni,  
yume mawaru shinnyuu suru.  
Soshite tsugini kami gakorobu baai,  
kareha sorewosubete youkyuu surukotowo kuru.  
Soreha ruri no mae ninasaseru,  
sannin no yakusoku dearu._

The Youkai story, from the book _Bakemonogatari, _he realised. Such a rare book…

He stared in the direction of the Lady Kuchiki, who had disappeared into the shadows, as if gone into the night…laughter pervaded, ghostly laughter that only he could hear…

* * *

_**Due to the story going over the 2,000 word limit I put, I will continue after breaking off here. **_

_**The three titles are all fictional: Tales of the Floating World, Dream and Spirit, and Witch and King respectively.**_

_**The poem was one of my inventions, original in English and then run through yahoo's Babel Fish translator. The original is:**_

_**Take heed, friend, in the dark.  
Run from a series of barks.  
The King invades from night, there,  
dreams turn into your nightmares.  
And then, when the gods do fall,  
he will come and claim it all.  
That is the promise of three,  
made before the lapis lazuli.  
**_


	38. Chapter 37:White Knight's Last Wish

_**I still feel dissatisfied with fic…**_

_**Let me clarify…this is based on the anime/manga, meaning that I start from somewhere around the Bount part and progress to Chapter 38- of the manga, and possibly beyond. After the 39**__**th**__** chapter will be the post-Winter War part. Bear with me please!!**_

_

* * *

_

"What are you intending?" Byakuya interrogated Chiyuki later in her room.

Chiyuki was rolling out a futon. "Excuse me? Me? I'm not doing anything, just playing around."

"Ryo was all but drooling, looking at you like that." Byakuya fumed.

"Well, I'm sorry, but I am not in any way your business, and even so nothing has happened, so what I do should not be any cause of concern for you…" Chiyuki was interrupted by Byakuya standing over her, intimidating and proud.

"As long as you are the Lady, you are my business. Remember that, Chiyuki." Byakuya growled, his baritone sending shivers up her spine. He was getting too close for comfort, she decided again.

"Get out, and…do you have insomnia again?" Chiyuki asked suspiciously. He looked away and barely nodded once. "I'm lucky I took some medicine tonight; I feel like attacking you. No, you don't need the chains." She added at Byakuya's slightly horrified look.

Another ten minutes later, when it was ten minutes to the witching hour, Byakuya fell asleep…

* * *

A month passed by uneventfully, save for a few unexplained explosions, a few sightings and funny shadows, plus Rukia's and Orihime's attempts at 'improving relations' between Byakuya and Chiyuki, better known as 'problematic plans'. Chiyuki continued to bring over bentos and give him a 'help in sleeping', or massage as it was better known. Byakuya found himself gazing at Chiyuki more and more, even though they were in a war, or preparing for it. Through regular training with her, their relations improved to a more cordial, if not slightly awkward, phase.

Even so, Byakuya had a feeling that there was more than met the eye in this case, for some of her reactions were a classic example. Like when Orihime demonstrated her healing power and Chiyuki began to mutter, "This will trigger the first battle…" exclaiming that as a quote when questioned.

Then, there was Ukitake's last tuberculosis attack, where she walked in and healed him. Byakuya didn't know the exact details, but he heard Kurotsuchi exclaim that Ukitake's body structure 'has returned to when it was strongest'.

Also to be mentioned was the odd behaviour of the Kazumi family, whose members were spotted several times in the real world, leading to several conspiracies as to the actual reason for this rare phenomenon. However, with the Kuchiki family's own problems after the deaths of three of their kin, Akihiko apparently hanging himself in shame, Byakuya could not spare much time to worry about her.

An investigation [or simplified as asking Chiaki] confirmed that no, Kiba was not Chiyuki's lover, but his father was going to kill him out of fear for his power base, and he asked for help, so long story short, they hid him for his own safety. You have no idea how relieved he was at those words; Chiaki asked if something had been relieved in his heart, it was that apparent.

Either way, one month passed, until that fateful day, when Orihime tried to return, and was caught by the Arrancar and Aizen instead.

Byakuya, now aware and sent to retrieve Rukia and Renji, was waiting behind the Senkaimon with Kenpachi when the weirdest thing happened…

Chiaki appeared, falling out of the ceiling on top of Kenpachi. "Yo, Byakko, it's been a long time." He said, falling off the winded Captain.

"Sempai," Byakuya replied, "Grow up."

"Aw, don't' be a stranger; I specially brought two things for you two." Chiaki pouted. "Since I'm not participating, I might as well share something with you. Remember, there is always light after the dark, but there will always be both."

Byakuya didn't even comprehend the meaninglessness when Chiaki took out a bento box and dumped it onto Byakuya's lap. "And Chiyuki sent this on advance notice, with a message to bring the box back, don't skip meals, and above all, don't even think of dying until you sign the annulment form." Kenpachi snorted in laughter.

"Kenpachi…" Chiaki took out a bamboo sword and proceeded to give Kenpachi a whack on the noggin. To humans, it has about the same effect as a Louisville Slugger.

"O Jii Sama told me to tell you he's not free; the war's starting, and he has other business to look after, so no training tomorrow; you're going to war, after all." Chiaki told Kenpachi, who was cradling his head.

As Chiaki jumped out, the time came to move in and take the two Shinigami back. And that was how Kenpachi was able to tell the two that time with Kuchiki Byakuya ain't so bad after all.

* * *

Meanwhile Chiyuki was testing out a portal, or a _tsume,_ as the Kitsune called it, to Hueco Mundo. As a Memoria, she was to mark out good view spots unseen and become witness to this legendary battle. 'The Battle of Las Noches", she'd decided to call it. Kind of lyrical, she'd thought, but then she was here only as a witness.

She had just marked out the last spot when she was spotted by Gin. "Well, well, looks like the Kazumi princess is here." He drawled. Chiyuki immediately turned around in shock. "Shoot to death, Shinso."

She was too late to move; the sword extended and pierced her stomach. Gin giggled: "Looks like the princess ain't as tough as the Black Knight." He said, retracting and sealing his Zanpakutou.

"Hey you!" Chiyuki shouted as her wound sealed up again. Gin's eyes widened and bugled out. "Do you know how difficult it is to replace this kosode, you idiot!! It's going to take forever to get these bloodstains out!!"

"Instant regeneration." Aizen commented as he walked in. "Interesting. And you are…?"

"My name is Kazumi Chiyuki." She declared. "I am not here to attack or spy; merely to mark out viewing spots."

"Excuse me, but I sincerely think that qualifies as spying." Aizen dryly told her as Barragan walked in. Chiyuki's eyes began to flicker silver. "Barragan, kill…"

"Aizen Sama, that girl is the granddaughter of the old man that crashed in two months ago." Barragan pointed out. "She is also the acquaintance of a certain person I have no wish to meet again. Furthermore, if we attack her, the Youkai will declare war on us." Aizen nodded in understanding.

"Good, Barragan, you should always remember why you are not recognised as the King of Hollows." Chiyuki cackled. Barragan glared back.

"Recognised? Tell me, Barragan, where do I get recognition as God?" Aizen asked light-heartedly.

Barragan nodded to Chiyuki, who was about to run. "She's a Memoria; her grandmother was the one who refused to acknowledge me as king of Hueco Mundo."

"I was joking, Barragan."

"I am not; she's gone by now, I guess."Barragan shot back. "She'll be here to record our victory or loss, she'll decide whether you are God."

Then his voice lowered. "Though there are some you will never control…"

A note dropped from the sky, opening at Aizen's feet:

_You poor thing. So many sad memories, Allow me to show you…a bad nightmare…_

In the center of the cross was a tiny little glowing ball. As a dumbstruck Aizen picked it up, he remembered all the memories that built his resolve to be God.

_So much more to do…Wait for me…_

* * *

Chiyuki finally managed to tear a _tsume_ open and was now in her room in the Kuchiki Manor when Byakuya returned, without Rukia.

"You let her go, didn't you?" Chiyuki asked him. His lips thinned as he nodded. "Good; it should be this way." She muttered.

"Byakuya Sama, Soul Society is preparing for war, right?" she asked again. Nod.

"Perhaps tonight is better spent in the Division lodgings instead." She suggested. "After all, all Captains are needed, right? We should be on all alert and ready to move out."

He couldn't disagree with that logic.

* * *

Byakuya was still unable to sleep. His mind was wracked with worry over Rukia's safety, and the possibility of dying. Although a long time ago he would have welcomed death as a possibility to meet his dearly departed Hisana again, there was something else making him hold on by that thin thread; Chiyuki. She had waltzed and stolen his heart that night, under the leaves of Rukongai.

Wide awake, he continued to stare at the ceiling, wide awake, until a noise shook him out of his daydream.

"Byakuya Sama," Chiyuki said. "It's me."

"Why are you here?" he asked, eyeing the bundle she carried with her.

He continued to eye apprehensively as she shook out a plate, an incense holder and another bundle, this one rectangular in shape and flat. Setting the plate out on a nearby table, she unwrapped the bundle to show Hisana's picture and placed it on the plate. Setting alight the incense, one of those small little scented sticks available in shops, out on the holder, she then stepped back and admired her handiwork.

"I brought Hisana here, in case you had anything to say. If you say something, you feel better, right?" Chiyuki asked. "Well, I'll be waiting outside."

* * *

As the shoji screen shut again, Byakuya stared at the picture, of Hisana smiling at him. "Good evening, Hisana." Byakuya felt slightly stupid talking to the picture, but nevertheless, his heart lifted. "Everything is well today, though Rukia insisted on following Kurosaki Ichigo to rescue her friend from the human world, the former _ryoka_ Inoue Orihime. And, you would be proud to know that I have possibly moved on. I shall remember to thank Chiyuki for bringing you over later; it was extremely thoughtful of her to do so.

Hisana, I might not come back from the war alive; I have embraced the possibility of death…" here he paused for breath. "Nevertheless, rest assured that Rukia has been covered in my will, and I will try to protect her in the upcoming war. On hind sight, she does not need it; she is able enough to do so by herself. Rukia has Kurosaki and a few other ryoka to protect her as well in this battle. Watch over her as she fights on, please, Hisana."

He continued to stare lovingly at her picture. His gentle lashes rest across his eyes as he stares, his deceased wife smiling. She had gone on to a place where she could never be hurt again. Faraway in the distance, the strains of a _kokyu_ sound over the Division, its soothing strain calming the raw emotion Byakuya felt, covering a hole in his heart. Today of all days, he felt it worse than ever…until reason took over.

Hold it; real life did not have a soundtrack, especially a _kokyu_ song like that. He looked out, to somewhere over the Division gardens, his eyes landing on a small, familiar silhouette in the dark of night.

Chiyuki sat on the lightning-struck cherry tree's lowest branch, playing a _kokyu_. Through her small silhouette, Byakuya could see her capable hands moving, playing the _kokyu_ with ease and finesse, the strain of the strings ringing out such touchingly sad music. He watch her small body arch over the kokyu, and as he walked out to see closer, watch her body move to tandem to the sad tune, the last dance he would possibly ever see.

As the last note faded, he clapped slowly. Chiyuki turned and watched him. "Why are you here?"

"Amazingly, I was talking to my wife and then I heard the strains of a _kokyu_ somewhere here. Such touching music has never been heard before by me. I am humbled." Byakuya commented.

"As you should," she retorted, but he noticed that she seemed mollified somewhat.

"Where you trying to make me feel guilty me enough so that I would have the determination to survive before I annul the marriage?" Byakuya asked lightly. "Because I assure you, guilt would lead me to an early grave."

"True; but so would a lot more things. I was merely building an atmosphere of sorrow in your heart so that when you survive, you would sign the form and then I can leave you to continue mourning."

"You have succeeded and failed admirably; I do feel sorrowful." Byakuya replied. "However, regardless of the moot chances of my survival, I would be proud to call you my wife."

"How touching. What about Hisana?"

"I have accepted Hisana's death as inevitable and am prepared to embrace the future." Byakuya replied confidently, but doubts were creeping into his mind. Could he actually start anew with her, when she was adamant of cutting it off? He didn't know. Sure, she seemed attracted, but she had proven time and again her acting skills too.

"Know how high you reach when courting me, Byakuya Sama."

"Chiyuki, I…"

"What?"

"Would you relieve me of a last wish, Chiyuki?" Byakuya asked her tonelessly, looking at her picking up her bow. "Please help me fulfil it so that I will have no regrets."

"Fine, White Knight."

"Excuse me?"

"Your name means 'white', and can also mean 'white night'白夜, if you put it in English it becomes 'white knight', a name for a knight that fights for justice." Chiyuki explained. She didn't tell him that he himself will be remembered as a 'White Knight', his ego didn't need to become more inflated. "What is your wish?"

"I…want you, for one night."

* * *

_**Warning; the next page contains so much lemon, it became concentrated ethanoic acid.**_

_**Also, a kokyu is the Japanese equivalent of the Chinese erhu.**_

_**Tsume means 'claw' in Japanese.  
**_


	39. Chapter 38:Warning: Very Acidic LEMON

_**We start off with a quote from The Dresden Files…**_

* * *

"Here's where I ask why you don't spend your time doing something safer and more boring. Like maybe administering suppositories to rabid gorillas." Chiyuki told her reflection in the Sixth Captain's bathroom. "No, you had to mix up with the more dangerous things, and now you're supposed to have sex with some guy who's outside waiting for you. And, although said guy is admittedly handsome, he is a prick."

"_More like you're scared that Kari's gonna freeze him again." _The reflection answered back, eyes glowing silver and hair turning white. "_Face it, you want him._"

"Shut up." Chiyuki told the silvered glass, pulling on a thin bathrobe. "I might as well hope that when he says that, he doesn't mean sex, but it's too much to hope for…" She shivered as the bathrobe shifted over her nipples, which immediately hardened, even though she hadn't done anything yet.

"_So_ s_ays the wittle vestal virgin who's never had a man_." Yami laughed as Chiyuki blushed.

"You're the same as me, aren't you?" Chiyuki all but yelled at the glass, glowering at her reflection with white hair and silver eyes..

"_Yeah well, I have the memories, so do you. I can see why you want him, but seriously, get over it and just bang…_"

"Shut up." Chiyuki dully told her, remembering that conversation…

Flashback:

"_I…want you."_

_She dropped the bow of the Kokyu. It bounced on her thigh, and then stopped there, hanging loosely from the Kokyu itself as she stared at him incredulously. "Excuse me?"She heard herself ask._

"_I want you, in my arms, for one night." Byakuya repeated himself. "And I know what you're thinking." He added before Chiyuki could voice out her thoughts. "I'm not going to do anything like the erotica books I presume Sempai still leaves about."_

"_Actually recently he turned to Victorian romances." Chiyuki defended her brother, but she had to admit she had thought of those before. Highly lurid in detail and bright in colour, what kind of person wouldn't be curious? As a mere forty or so she had already developed a taste for the more hardcore, fetish types. Sadly, her last lover had ended up as a Popsicle and was now undergoing complete mind kibosh somewhere on Tori Yama, so she never really got a chance to try it out._

"_Aren't they about the same?" Byakuya asked suspiciously. Chiyuki decided not to disagree; she couldn't anyway as he had a point. It WAS about the same, except with more lurid details and weirder toys. _

"_Either way, I just want you, in my…bed, in my arms. I won't expect sex." HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT SO NORMALLY, YOU ICE BLOCK!!! She mentally screamed in her head._

"_Fine." She agreed._

_End Flashback._

"And that's why I'm here now." Chiyuki whispered. "_Go for it!! Make him beg!! Let him die with no regrets!!" _Yami cheered somewhere in the recesses of her mind. She sealed those recesses away.

She breathed out as she touched the doorknob, then, grasping the handle, pulled it open, and stepped out.

* * *

Byakuya was waiting; he had disrobed to a single under robe and was now lying on the futon. Beside said futon were the rest of the robes, and Senbonzakura, ever present. Hisana's picture had been packed away and taken back to the manor only moments before by Byakuya himself. As he left, he realised that he had never actually spoken to security about…well, security.

Except for the Kidou shielding, which had recently taken to forming flying purple gorilla-like shapes, hurling balls of fire that came out of their…nether regions, somewhere behind and on the seat of their pants? He suspected that was Chiaki's way of fooling around with him.

As Chiyuki stepped out of the bathroom, he was waiting on the futon. His gaze ran over her shapely legs, an arse of mathematical perfection [or to him anyway] and up over to her body, which was as shapely as that time where she had 'accidentally' attacked him and tried to rape him. Not a nice thought.

She raised an eyebrow at the singe on the edge of his haori. "Security?"

"I was running an errand," Byakuya explained. "And I didn't want to alert the staff of my presence."

"An errand is getting a tank of gas or picking up a carton of milk or something. It is _not_ getting chased by flying purple pyromaniac gorillas hurling incendiary poo." Chiyuki observed, giggling slightly. "I made those changes, found it so cute that I fixed it to another shield in my inner world."

"I see that you have an extremely funny sense of humour." Byakuya replied, fighting not to laugh. Already his worry had begun to fade.

"Telling the story will be too long, so now…" Chiyuki was in front of him. "…I'll entertain you."

"Gladly." Byakuya agreed as he pulled her down with him.

* * *

_**A/Note: the following section is considered 'M' rated, but I found it a bit useless to add the rating for only one scene, so not only will I try to water it down, but I put the censored section in bold. If you're sensitive to these sorts of things or are under 16 years of age, please scroll down to the last section **__**not**__** in bold. You no like, you don't read. Kapeesh?**_

_**Signed, **_

_**LaLunaticScribe.**_

_

* * *

_

**Her lips on him were feverish, he realised, as his tongue flicked through her soft lips. She was a child, inexperienced and young, yet she moved with the surety of some practice, latching her arms behind his head as she returned his ardour, moaning as her teeth scraped near. **

**Almost on autopilot, he went lower, near the ridge of her collarbone, scraping it there in ecstasy. At her breasts, he cuddled the two mounds together, marvelling as they moulded and resisted his touch at the same time.**

**After fifty years of celibacy, he had half expected all sexual facilities to have diminished, thus explaining some surprise felt when he felt himself growing erect at her expression, which looked somewhere between satisfaction and want. The little vixen was seducing him with a single look.**

**He felt a twinge of regret when shock entered the equation, "But you said…" she panted, shaking her head, sending her black locks flying. Byakuya reached and pulled the tail free of its bind, causing it to cascade. Her blue eyes stared out through the curtain of black, confused. "You said…"**

"**That I would not expect it." Byakuya nipped the hard nipple, causing her to arch in shock. "That did not include you seducing me. Perhaps I should have added that when I asked you for a night."**

"**Less talk." Chiyuki was trembling, not from cold, though honestly, the room temperature was being brought down beyond a normal room temperature. "More do." She hissed as she threw off her sleeves, baring her arms and upper body to his gaze.**

**In the steps of a **_**capriccio**_**, played in the **_**viola d'amore,**_** the two dancers moved in tandem. He rained kisses down, from her breasts to the taut stomach, then to her soft navel, offered to him by the Fox goddess on her knees before him. The mood was **_**con amore; **_**lovingly, she removed his kenseikans from his hair, allowing the black bangs to fall onto her hand, where they wrapped around her fingers possessively, much like his hands were now wrapped possessively around her, pushing her down. On impact, her legs waved out, framing Kuchiki Byakuya kneeled between them, his hands near her nether regions. She gasped at him, he growled back, stroking her between her smooth thighs.**

_**Poco a poco, **_**he thrust his finger in, bringing her to moan out in climax.****She cried out, so sweetly that his own senses were heightened, screaming to thrust into her now and damn the consequences. She had dared to even think of leaving? Well, he'll just have to convince her to stay, right? He readied himself to thrust into her, already slick, wet and anticipatory, from her feverish breaths.**

**Sliding into the tight, wet heat of his wife nearly cost Byakuya his sanity. With a rough gasp, he thrust himself deeply, again and again, her frantic cries tearing through his mind and shredding whatever lucidity he had left. Moments or minutes or hours vanished into the dark, searing claiming of flesh, senses and sanity spiralling downward in a relentless, furious rush of intoxicating luxury...and of memories…**

_**A young girl was standing in front of a body. The girl had long black hair, tied neatly into a ponytail, and if not for the brilliant blue of her eyes, Byakuya would have assumed that she was someone else. The girl held her hand out to the corpse, which was, considering the amount of blood leaking out, still unbelievably alive. **_

"_**Come into my service, Shihouin Yoichi." The girl intoned, eyes flashing silver. "I will command you for the next thousand years, after which you will have eternity to wander. Hand your life to me and you will live. Remember, only I can save you now. Come back and see Yoruichi again, but from the shadows; you can never meet your comrades in arms, your family, or your love ever again, but you will live for me, at least for the next millennium. Your life in exchange for a life in the shadows; choose."**_

_**The corpse opened its eyes; bright yellow met blue. "I will live…for you then, My Lady."**_

"_**Good." The girl replied, smiling as he took her hand, and blue fire sped out over him, healing him instantly… "Another worthy servant. Remember nothing of your past; you are no longer nobility, save your skills; you will watch from the shadows, but you are alive. And eternity beckons."**_

_**She helped the corpse up. "Come, friend." She said, beckoning to him. "Time is no more an obstacle to you, walk free with me."**_

**A dream, he thought, as all went white, and a few more flashed by…**

* * *

Chiyuki got up, watching the handsome warrior she called her husband, asleep. His clearly defined features stood out in the little light of four in the morning, and just a mere look sent shivers up on her spine again. _Wow, he didn't get frozen; me, I got burnt. And I was digging it._

After running through her first time, she had collapsed and was duly rewarded by his warm body, which collapsed on top of her, closing her in. she didn't complain though, snuggling up to his chest. Unconsciously, an arm wrapped around her, holding every part of her body close to him. There, she had slept for more than four hours, a vast improvement from her normally night-owlish state.

When she got up, she quickly got dressed in her clothing. Writing a note for him, she left it at her place [she'd never gotten used to it] and, with a final kiss and a long look, left on her mission.

_Godspeed, White Night. _The wind whispered as she left, the veritable warrior goddess preparing to witness the battles of antiquity and elevate deserving warriors to heaven.

_

* * *

_

The next morning, when Byakuya woke up, she was gone, in her place a note drifted:

_You say one night, it means until twelve. Be lucky I stayed over four hours._

_Xoxo_

_ if you die…I won't forgive you._

_See you somewhere in Hueco Mundo._

_Xoxo Chiyuki. _

_S'agapo._

He smiled, having read Greek enough to know the words for 'I love you'. A tricky girl, she was. But Hueco Mundo? Surely…surely…she would.

He set out, a gut feeling telling him that today, the war begins.

* * *

_**Please review ~ =) the next chapter promises more.**_


	40. Chapter 39:Battaglia: The Winter War

_**Hope it was sour enough; I needed to keep the fic restrained within the parameters, see, so…you get the idea. Enjoy.**_

* * *

_They who exist in darkness cannot come to the light; this is an understood truth._

_Within the large meeting under the dark starry skies, crowds surround a high white monolith, with four tiers. On the tip of the monolith stood nine people; one to the eight cardinal and semi-cardinal direction, and one right in the center. That at the very top looked down over the crowds, cold basalt eyes surveying his domain and them who stand under him. Even so, he is lonely, wishing for one to accompany him and to call his…the lapis lazuli, but she is gone, and now they shall go back to the night…_

_On the second tier, two stood for every direction, third tier had three, fourth and bottom tier had four. Ten for every of the eight directions and of Nature's eight elements, one lone person to rule over it all; such was the arrangement of the Youkai Court. _

_Overhead, the sky rumbles, clashes; underneath, the crowds clamour to fight on; so near to victory, only to lose it all._

_Five centuries; such a small price to pay. Even to those who pass the dead into afterlife, it is long, but to those who have escaped time's sway, not at all. It will pass in an eye's blink, and then…_

_The Lapis Lazuli will return to the King…For it, the King will do anything…_

Byakuya woke from the daydream as a familiar reiatsu caresses his spirit perception; Rukia is in danger.

He shunpo off into the castle of the Nights, Las Noches, to rescue his sister…

* * *

About time, Chiyuki thought as Byakuya totally kicked the ass of the bald African-looking [not being racist, just descriptive] seventh Espada, looking down from the eaves of the ceiling.

When Rukia had fainted/passed out in battle, Chiyuki had coated her in a weak shielding that causes most to forget about her. Unfortunately, it wasn't strong enough to make the fanatic Espada forget, and Zommari had turned up. Chiyuki had thought about interfering in the battle, but was restrained by Chiaki, who hissed at her and motioned to the wall. She grinned; he _was_ coming after all.

As siblings watched, Chiaki motioned to his Zanpakutou, Kurohime, who then was stuck into the wall to provide a foothold. There, the two waited.

When Byakuya finally turned up and hauled of and slugged the guy, Chiyuki jumped to another battle. There was more to watch than her...perhaps that was a thought best strangled soon.

* * *

Recorded wins starting from the beginning of invasion:

Ryoka vs. Pivaron Espada:

Ryoka win by narrow margin, necessitating release of Bankai, use of Hollow mask, use of secret weapons and still win only by narrow margin. Weak, people.

First time:

Ichigo vs. Ulquorria

Ulquorria win. Tough luck, Strawberry.

Battle of Kings:

Ichigo Kurosaki vs. Grimmjow Jeagerjaques.

Kurosaki wins [I thought lions were the King, not panthers?]

Battle of the Tattoos + Glasses vs. Pink hair [how gay]

Abarai Renji tag. Ishida Uryuu vs. Syazel Aporro Grantz aka Pink-hair & glasses.

Pink-hair wins. [Aw, shucks.]

The misunderstood Story

Ichigo vs. Nnoitra

Nnoitra wins. [Again, tough luck.]

Nnoitra vs. Neliel Tu Odelschwanck [a dark horse indeed]

Result: although Nel managed to hit him a few times, lost in the end, leading to Nnoitra's victory.

Battle of the Slight Fanatics:

Kuchiki Byakuya vs. Zommari Leroux

Kuchiki wins. [Take that, you pervert! Don't come near my husband and sister! Did I just remember that?]

Battle of the Berserkers:

Zaraki Kenpachi vs. Nnoitra Jiruga aka. Spoon-head [one for the ages, people]:

Zaraki wins.

Battle of Mad Scientists [or Completely Whacked out Freaks of Nature, as Chiyuki called the two]:

Kurotsuchi Mayuri tag. Kurotsuchi Nemu vs. Pink Hair & glasses:

Kurotsuchi tag team win. [Boo!!No fair!]

Battle of the Emo. Dudes:

Ichigo Kurosaki vs. Ulquorria Cifer:

By narrow margin, including Kurosaki turning into Hollow berserker and completely thrashing Emo guy, Kurosaki wins.

Side comment: Hmm, I wonder if this kid actually loves Orihime more…I will interrogate him in the dungeo- the room. Hang it all, perhaps I should borrow Nii Sama's dominatrix outfit while I'm at it.

**Meanwhile in the Human world:**

Four simultaneous battles:

Madarame Ikkaku, Ayasegawa Yumichika, Kira Izuru, Hisagi Shuuhei vs. Fraccion [due to lack of names I shall have to name all simultaneously as Fraccion. Either way, those names ain't important; History is written by winners]

Result: Madarame lost due to holding back, Kira and Ayasegawa won, Hisagi pulling out Shikai as last-minute resort give extra points.

Battle of the Giants:

Komamura Sajin vs. giant Arrancar.

Komamura wins, but still have to pay for damages…

Battle Royale: Fraccion vs. Lieutenants

Odds are that Lieutenants will win

3 sisters Arrancar [who cares about those?] vs. Lieutenant Matsumoto, Lieutenant Hinamori, Lieutenant Hisagi and Lieutenant Kira.

3 sisters Arrancar win. [Bad tactics to use Allon.]{Those who bet on Lieutenants, gimme my money.}

Yamamoto Shigekuni Genryuusai vs. 3 sisters Arrancar + Allon.

Yamamoto wins [name, looks, and age bring him up to contest with wizard Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore; both are a mouthful to talk.]

Battle of the Drunk vs. the Lazy: Odds on drunk; at least he's standing.

Kyoraku Shunsui vs. Coyote Stark

Kyouraku wins [ha, gimme five million yen!!]

Battle of Kings vs. Queens:

Soi Fon vs. Barragan Luisenbarn

Soi Fon wins [now that's a shocking finish!]

Battle of Ice and Water:

Captain Hitsugaya vs. Tia Harribel

Better known as Youth vs. Age [hahaha!!]

Hitsugaya wins, striking a victory for vertically challenged everywhere. [Hooray for the short and young; they're cute.]

Wonderweiss Madgera plus Giant lump of mountain [no more terms to describe] vs. Captain Yamamoto, Soi Fon, Hitsugaya, Komamura and all other Shinigami able to stand.

Winner: Wonderweiss.

Don't feel bad! For in comes…

Vaizards vs. Big lump thing

Winner: Vaizards, though unluckily, Hiyori got slashed right through the spinal base and the navel, result in complete decapacitation. Two others, Mashiro and Kensei, remain MIA.

**Back to Las Noches [or whatever's remaining.]**

Yammy Riyalgo vs. Ichigo Kurosaki

Yammy wins [the brute]

Battle of the Berserker and the Knight:

Zaraki Kenpachi tag. Kuchiki Byakuya vs. Yammy Riyalgo [Et tu, brute?]

Result: Due to a disturbance in reiatsu on both sides of the plane, no idea. Will later confirm by seeing which side is still alive.

**Back to the Human world to investigate disturbance:**

Chiyuki stepped out of the tsume to meet what should be the most disgusting scene of her life. "O Baa Sama!!" she exclaimed as she watched the pile of robes not far from the battlefield. "Your reiatsu is combining with O Jii Sama's to cause hurricanes. If you want to shack up so badly, go home!"

"That's no fun at all." The childish Kokoro, half-naked, was straddling a young man with black hair, coal black eyes and curving tattoos on his back; Kazumi Ryuuhito without illusion. "I can't get Ryuu here to peel the illusion off long enough to shack up!"

"Even so, what reason is there to have sex so openly where everyone can see you?' Chiyuki pointed out.

"None. You've never done it with that boy you call a hubby, so don't tell me off." Kokoro absently said, making moony-eyes at her husband again. The horror. "Besides, we're celebrating! We just managed to score off five Vasto lords at one go!" she didn't notice Chiyuki's blush until later. "You've done it?"

Chiyuki refused to meet her eyes.

"Well, good for you!! Eh, where's your grandfather?" Kokoro asked as the afterimage of Ryuuhito faded. "He ran again…" -.-….._Maybe he's somewhere, pulling his clothes on while wondering what kind of a pervert was his wife?_

She was partly right; she forgot to add Ryuuhito's exact thoughts: "Feisty."

The two women sat there, observing the war in its full glory, wishing that they could join, but the restrictions held fast…

* * *

_Night is when terrible things emerge from their sleep and seek soft flesh and hot blood. Night is when unseen beings with no regard for what our people have built and no place in what we have deemed the natural order look in at our world from outside, and think dark and alien thoughts. And sometimes, just sometimes, they do things…_

Those were Byakuya's last flashes as booms sounded, and the big, ugly brute known as Yammy Riyalgo leered over him and Zaraki, calling out: "You f***kers!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

_No taste at all,_ he thought. _When I get back, there's something I need to do; get a wedding ring._

Senbonzakura, still floating about, agreed.

* * *

_**Tune in next time!!...which is right now?**_

* * *

No, too bad, next time!!!=)


	41. Chapter 40:Beginning of the End

_**I do not pretend to predict the future…it is mostly common sense that no protagonist should die in battle. Therefore, in this fiction, I shall assume the Kurosaki and co. are still alive, but I sincerely doubt that Hiyori can survive such a length of time after being sliced into two separate parts. Maybe Orihime healed her, I do not know. Both ways, this is fan fiction, where imaginations run wild and no truth is absolute. **_

_**Thereby, I will continue…**_

_**I do not own Bleach, or any other fanfics other than my own. All OCs are my responsibilities. This is a standard cover-own-ass tagline; you're welcome to copy, as long as you send a message to thank me.**_

* * *

After the war, the doubts have already creeped in.

Weary from the war, he had fallen in battle, and had been hovering near the edge of death for a long time already.

He seeks to die; to fall into oblivion, but a few words stop him:

_If you die, I won't forgive you._

He needs to return, if not for his sake then for someone else, waiting for him…such a nice word.

Through half open eyes, he scans the expanse of Hueco Mundo's sky. Though not as beautiful as Seireitei's blue, the stars and moon twinkle, and fade into the dark…

A woman steps onto the field. Beautiful, she walks on the expanse of scorched desert, towards him. _The Valkyrie chooses the fallen_, he recalls. The _Chooser of the slain, this one; that's its meaning_.

Her black hair stands out as it streaks over her pale face. He distinctively sees her eyes, now blue, now silver. Dressed in a plain white yukata, she still walks, slowly, like one who has all time before her.

She is here; she stares at him. Silver eyes bemusedly looks at him; he congratulates himself, thinking that if this heavenly creature appeared as a hallucination, he would die happy and content, knowing that he had lain eyes on that immortal beauty rarely imagined, much less seen.

She opens her mouth, those soft lips of seduction curving, and echoing her words:

"_Good, you're alive."_

She bows over him; blue fire springs from her hands as she caresses his wounds. Strangely, it does not hurt; he feels…lighter, more alive, less in pain. The heavenly creature smiles at him now, eyes glowing softly, warmly, as he passes into the darkness, which now seems so welcome…

_Twilight means more than just time to call the children in from playing outside. Fading light means more than just the end of another day…_

* * *

When Byakuya woke up, he was in a hospital bed.

Surprisingly, he was not in the more serious wards; Zaraki was still in surgery, Kurosaki still in as well, most seems to have survived. Including Kurosaki, the resilient bastard…

"Well, glad to see you're alive." Unohana Taichou says as she sweeps in. "a huge miracle too, Kuchiki Taichou. When Zaraki Taichou finally recovered, he was going on about how serious your condition was, but you seemed barely even in danger. Perhaps an angel came along and healed you; you don't have as many wounds as the others."

Byakuya detected a slightly sarcastic note in her voice. "I assure you, Unohana Taichou, when we finally defeated the Espada, I collapsed."

"I see. At least you're not the one on the receiving end of sealing Zaraki's wounds." Unohana commented. Right on cue, a loud scream reverberated through the place. Both Captains sweat dropped. "What method are you using on Zaraki Taichou?" Byakuya asked, hoping that they didn't think of trying it on him too.

"We ran out of thread." Unohana replied. "So we had to cauterise his wounds." Again another scream. "Kokoro Sama was rather enthusiastically waving a hot iron about." More screams, this time with Ikkaku and Yumichika amongst them. "Kokoro Sama offered to do the entire Eleventh Division." He could understand the little silver-haired Lady getting her way; who on earth could stand against her on the warpath, when even the SouTaichou acceded to her wishes?

"Furthermore, you have a guest." Unohana said, motioning to the door.

Chiyuki stood in the doorway, dressed in pure white. A pensive expression on her face, almost equal to Byakuya's poker face, she stared blankly at him.

"Well, I'll leave the two of you to chat." Unohana hurriedly replied, as the temperature dropped.

* * *

"Glad to see that you didn't die." Chiyuki commented.

"I was lucky." Came the reply.

"Is it? Four limbs all broken, a cracked skull, five broken ribs, a broken femur, and several fractures in the spinal cord?" Chiyuki asked, raising an eyebrow.

"How do you know the full extent of my injury?" Byakuya asked. "Actually, aren't you exaggerating? I'm sure that my injuries were lighter than that."

At this, a blue flame uncurled itself, floating right beside Chiyuki. "They weren't; I was in Hueco Mundo, and you were probably dying, so...I gave you a nudge."

"How did you get in without a Gargantua?" Byakuya asked, puzzled.

"Never you mind; either way…" Chiyuki took a breath. "Rukia's here. And I love you." she added sarcastically.

The two thus prepared to welcome Rukia back, choosing not to answer why Byakuya was blushing and staring at Chiyuki.

* * *

Through the following months, with their victory, Soul Society was recovering. Though its losses were only slightly lower than Aizen's, who had disappeared off with Tousen and Gin, they still had lost valuable Shinigami in the field. Ukitake was very weak and recuperating and the lieutenants were also recovering from wounds, both physical and emotional, but nevertheless they were better off.

Chiyuki came everyday to visit; sometimes she also brought a Chappy plushie [regrettably not the one as large as Seireitei] for Rukia. Byakuya would often hear the two whispers as he stood outside the ward. He was still able to move about, but Unohana had told him 'no overexertion until certified', and he was duly compensated by having less paperwork [which came under the heading of 'overexertion', Renji having to fill in the excess].

As the rest of winter passed, Byakuya could feel tension in the air as Chiyuki sat before him in his study, filling out a form. "Byakuya Sama, do you think a bright blue or a traditional red and gold scheme is better for the New Year?" Chiyuki asked over the form, but Byakuya could tell that her voice was strained, as if she was being forced to talk. "Personally, I like blue, but Senzo San [the steward or a butler, you can think of it] suggests to stick to the traditions."

"Chiyuki," he asked, "What is bothering you?"

She did not look at him, face hidden by the form. "It's a long time, already, since we danced." She commented, looking out wistfully at the snow covered grounds. "It seemed as if all the rules between us were broken, no one to stop us, not even ourselves."

"You remember asking why I didn't erase your memory, Danna Sama."

"Yes, I forgot your reply."

"Well," Chiyuki looked him, sadly. "I could erase it when you sign the form."

"Chiyuki," Byakuya entreated, "Why can you not stay?"

"I have my own reasons." Chiyuki replied. "I have called the lawyers, and the forms have been prepared. I just needed to break this to you."

"I refuse. Look at me." Byakuya grabbed her wrist, pulling her across the table to face him. "Look me in the eye and tell me why we must end this way."

"Ask yourself why you shy away from the books I conjure. Are you not afraid of my power, Byakuya Sama?"

"What about my fear? That is not a good enough reason to break it off."

"Either way, you still look at me that way. The one with guilt in your eyes. I don't like it." She admitted. "I…I…"

She was at a loss to reply as Byakuya swooped down onto her lips, dragging her into a fierce, demanding kiss that melted her senses and left her completely at his mercy. Byakuya, noticing her sudden compliance, lifted her bodily over the table [how light was she?] and set her to straddle him.

"Now, what were you saying?" he asked lightly as he tentatively pulled her kosode open, loosening the bandages to let his hands in.

"I…ah, stop." She made to move away, but he held her fast, not letting her leave as he continued to stroke her breasts. She blushed; he took that as a good sign and pressed on, baring her shoulders as he leaned closer, scraping her collarbone with his teeth. She gasped in ecstasy as he continued to kiss down, cradling his head with her arms. "Byakuya, I tell you to sto…" she never got to finish, Byakuya's fingers on her lips restraining her.

A piano rendition of 'Love Story' [the Taylor Swift one] began playing, its dulcet tones accompanied by her moans, as the two rocked back and forth, in a rhythmic motion [A/N: _**I'm a prude, okay??**_], now stroking behind her ears. Behind her, nine white tails popped out, waving languidly behind her…

…then all nine attacked Byakuya.

Byakuya stood there stunned, the nine tails pushing against him as she got up off the table, her eyes shining dangerously silver. "What are you doing, you…?"

"Merely trying to convince you to stay." Byakuya answered lamely.

"Forget convincing, I…"she abruptly cut off. "Do you hear piano music?"She asked as, to Byakuya's disappointment, she pulled her kosode back together.

Yes, the 'Love Story' rendition had not ceased at all, which was extremely scary in its own right already. Add the fact that _no_ piano had made it into the Kuchiki Manor yet, and the fear factor was doubled.

"Now let me think, is anyone dumb enough to play that song here, for some pointless reason, like to 'enhance the atmosphere' or something…" Byakuya thought, and ruefully smiled at Chiyuki, who returned it. "Sempai is here, correct?"

"Spot on."

Right on cue, Senzo knocked on the door to declare the arrival of Kazumi Chiaki, who carried in a portable radio blaring out the piano song.

"You have no sense of humour." He pouted as the two glared at the radio. "I was simply settling the tension between you two."

"Sempai, state your reason for visiting." Byakuya gritted his teeth as Chiaki shut the radio, his eyes scanning the room, landing on Chiyuki, then to face Byakuya.

"Very well, then. As Chiyuki possibly already broke the news…" his eyes lingered over his sister, who mutely nodded. "…then our agreement is fulfilled. As per the original deal, should this come out, the blame will be on us…with an extra term that all memories of this will be modified. Relax," he added as Byakuya raised an eyebrow, pulling a scroll out of his kosode. "It's not painful; it'll be just like you conveniently forgot. Regardless of how long your memory may be, it still forgets anyway. Now then, since whatever extraneous responsibilities Chiyuki volunteered to stay for has been carried out…"

"Wait, hold on." Byakuya interrupted Chiaki's somewhat boring speech. "Extraneous responsibilities?" he asked, looking at her.

"You didn't know." Chiaki was surprised. "She was supposed to leave by December, not somewhere in January. Ah, well. Since the danger has been averted, it's old news. Now then, we need you to sign the annulment scroll…"

"I refuse; Chiyuki will remain my wife." Byakuya stated. Behind him, nine white tails attacked again, snaking over his limbs, holding him fast.

"That's for her to decide. Chiyuki?" The older Kazumi motioned to her.

Chiyuki had downcast, blank eyes as she walked near to Byakuya, looking him in the eye. "I love him," she whispered. "But I cannot deny that he is more mortal than me, and will die a few centuries down the road, while I remain the same as I always was. By leaving now, perhaps I could leave you a better choice."

"You cannot; we have established that you need my signature to go. I will not let you." Byakuya grated as he tried to struggle against all the tails, but they held fast.

Chiaki sighed. "Very well, looks like it's up to me to play matchmaker now to the two confused lovebirds- and yes, since you're so insistent, that's the only word to describe you- and arbitrate. Which means…?"

"We call _them_ in." Chiyuki cut in, all business again. Chiaki grimaced. "You're doing the emotionally distant thing again, aren't you?"He asked.

"Since you so sincerely asked, then yes, I am." Chiyuki said. "Now please call them in before I decide to take matters in my own hands."

"Very well…" Chiaki acquiesced. "Byakuya, please come over to the Kazumi Manor tonight; we will settle the dispute and compensate you accordingly."

Chiaki's eyes, for a moment, glowed at Byakuya, sending an eerie shiver up the latter's spine. "This is no longer simple; and _should_ you choose to toy with us, I will _ensure_ you undergo _hell_ and back, understand?" The spectacled man growled, so scarily that Byakuya found his hands clammy and shaking.

With a sweep of his robes, Kazumi Chiaki left, leaving a decidedly more afraid Kuchiki Byakuya standing in his wake.

* * *

_**For the sake or the reading challenged, I limited every chapter to about 2,000 words or so, so tune in next time to see what happens…**_

_**I'm a big fan of hu3long2, so I named the steward in his honour…it's the same name she used…**_

_**Please read and review ~**_


	42. Chapter 41:Night King, Nura Kazuya

_**There's power in the night. There's terror in the darkness.  
Despite all our accumulated history, learning, and experience, we remember.  
We remember times when we were too small to reach the light switch on the wall, and when the darkness itself was enough to make us cry out in fear.  
Get a good ways out from civilization-say, miles and miles away on a lightless lake-and the darkness is there, waiting...**_

* * *

Usually, Kazumi Chiaki was in a good mood and rarely ever appeared angry. Those he was angry at didn't need to live, and usually never talked about it ever again, or were permanently sealed somewhere in the after-_after_-life. However, if you thought Byakuya was overprotective as a brother, or Ichigo overreacting when reading a Karin x Toushirou fanfic that's sexually explicit, think again: Chiaki gave those _lessons_.

Hell, I've bet that he would have set up some kind of certification process, just to make sure they all kept up to snuff.

Anyway, before the overly protective, irritated and imperious Kazumi Chiaki, clouds of thunder boomed over the Kazumi Manor as the 28th Head of House commanded the Elders' gathering. Under cover of the setting sun, people wonder why the shadows of Seireitei seem to incline towards one particular venue; the Kazumi Manor…

* * *

In another equally rich, or possibly more, but different part, of Soul Society, a stone tablet shines. The words, written in some ancient language, have become indecipherable with age. The stone had been worn down from the ages: five centuries of standing against the onslaught of the King of the Night; he who holds the name of the Dark General, Nurarihyon.

Finally, the stone cracks, the priests gather, restraining it, but all knowing that it is futile; this is the Night King; he who had lain waste to Soul Society, who has surpassed even the power of the Central Forty Six, who had almost successfully toppled the Royal family from its place of power, and who once brought the Gotei Juusantai, the Omitsukido and the Kidou Corps, at the height of its power, down to its knees. What hope did these priests, these retainers, limited in number, have against the individual?

The stone yields; the priests, chanting their weak spells, the _Bakudo_ breaking easily like spider's thread, retainers are blown away by his mere presence, killed by the powerful spirit pressure he exuded. Standing at six feet six, with long, white hair, sticking up at a forty-five degree angle from his head, dark eyes shining behind that hair, and wearing a black kosode and hakama, the age-old king Nurarihyon walks, looking for the entire world like only a young human of thirty one, save for the hair. He walks out; free at last…

However, he does not want this so-called freedom, this loneliness; he seeks what he had lost, what he will give anything for to have back. Even should she return like the story of Izanami no Mikoto, he would be content to his fate; that he has resolved. He would give her anything she desired: he would give her the world, any world, it is after all, within his power to give...

But now, she is gone. No more to come back. His Lapis Lazuli, lost to time…lost to the mortal weakness of death…

He howls out in rage and sorrow. Those who hear his cry, even in the Royal dimension, shudder before it; the King falls of shock upon hearing its terrible message, he howls to the edges of the dimension his sorrow, his power ripping a hole into the fourth dimension, time. A temporal rent…he escapes through, guards foolish enough to follow falling into the endless river we call time: alive, yet carved in stone…

Here, he promises himself, lost in the delusions that his Lapis Lazuli would agree…what she would get, he would give to her line…

_I will give all of Soul Society to her…to her descendants…_

_I will make her descendants kings, and ensure that their dynasty will never end…_

_I will give them the promise you could not hold…the power you could not have, and more…_

_Everything to you, for you…Kuchiki Ruri._

_Everything to the end of time itself….Kuchiki Byakuya._

* * *

Far away, in the human world, Kazumi Kokoro and Kazumi Ryuuhito watch Karakura Town's stormy skies. Thunder claps, lightning flashes, rain dances, as the Red Knight and White Lady watch on.

"He is out early." Kokoro commented. "Knew that Nurarihyon would break out."

"Kokoro, what do you think Yama's reaction is going to be? Bet he's going to panic; the last time he met the king, Ryuujin Jakka nearly fried him, the wielder."A scary thought; the price of underestimating that army.

"I don't know; I'm not under their jurisdiction now anyway…" Kokoro sighed. "Now, if only we can settle our granddaughter…"

"She'll be an observer, and she'll become a part of the Court. Say, Kokoro, do you think Nurarihyon'll actually carry that promise out?" Ryuuhito asked seriously.

"Yes. Nurarihyon would do anything," Kokoro's eyes glimmered silver in rage, "for that woman. The Gotei has no chance."

_**Twilight means more than just time to call the children in from playing outside.  
Fading light means more than just the end of another day…**_

* * *

Outside the Kuchiki manor, it began to rain as the thunderstorm broke.

Chiyuki stood by the man she called her husband, silent as he stared at her across his desk. Privately, she wished that he would touch her again, but she knew: he was angry, hurt, and hated her.

Byakuya watched the woman he called his wife, wondering if he had done something very wrong to offend her so deep…

His hand covered hers on the desk; she looked astonished to see it. She continued to eye the hand, tentatively moving her other hand over it, stroking the fingerless gloves, the bare fingers, almost playfully.

His hand tightens over hers, then he roughly pulls her over to the side, from which she collapses into his lap. Looking up, she realises that now, she is in a place most women would kill for; sitting on the lap of Kuchiki Byakuya.

His insistent manhood poking up under her, she blushes again as his left arm wraps around her waist, right hand races up her throat, over the hot, throbbing jugular, over her sensitive ears, down over the neck, pulling off her kosode to loosen one sleeve, exposing her left shoulder again. He licked the smooth exposed skin, watching fervently as she moaned softly.

He licks again, all the way to the jugular. "What are you doing?" she squeaked, trying to break free as dictated by her common sense. "Wait, stop, no…"

"Chiyuki, please, don't fight against me." Byakuya whispers in her ear as he pulls the kosode wider. With that, he wraps an arm about her torso, taking a deep breath to inhale her scent, which oddly enough smelled like jasmine. Fitting for her, since it was an aphrodisiac. She continued to moan.

She struggled out of his arms; for a fleeting moment he felt disappointment, until Chiyuki pressed back into them, now facing him, grabbing his face. Her eyes shined eager silver as she kissed him deeply, a night-before the gallows sort. "You started it, Byakuya Sama." She whispered back.

"Call me Danna; I prefer that." he quietly replied as his hands hooked up over the hem of her pants. "Before her could peel it off though, her hand latched onto the belt. "No." she pouted, then continued to paw on his face, tongue going on tongue. "Also…"

Just then, another knock sounded on the study door. "Byakuya Sama, Kuchiki Ryo Sama requests an audience." Senzo's nasal voice speaks.

Byakuya watch regretfully as Chiyuki pull her kosode back on, then gives the order: "let him in."

The Kuchiki archives' chief archivist walks in, panting heavily. Byakuya waits until he had stopped sounding like an asthma attack before asking: "Yes?"

Ryo provided further entertainment as he coughed, and nearly keeled over, then recovered enough to speak.

"The p-paper, Chiyuki Sama, the Night King is awake." Ryo stuttered.

"Excuse me? You said it was a myth." Chiyuki told him, puzzled. "Surely…"

"I do not lie, Chiyuki Sama; now the Covenant has broken, he is free. The Dark General, Nurarihyon, is free to walk the halls of time. The Spirit King can no longer use that wish. Nurarihyon is here."

Upon hearing that name, Byakuya's spine shuddered. Names have power, and for this effect to come about, this guy, Nurarihyon, had a lot of it.

Thunder booms; Ryo screams, pointing behind Byakuya. Chiyuki stifles a gasp, immediately going down on one knee before the unknown person.

Slowly, Byakuya turned to face upon the king who could so whimsically topple the power structure of Soul Society: the Nurarihyon, with the name of Nura Kazuya.

* * *

The Elders of the Kazumi family were gathering when the strong reiatsu swept their senses. The hundred-strong Council of Tori Yama all stiffened as one sensation sweeps them senseless. Some cry, some shout, all begin to head towards that source of power…

"Meeting adjourned until further notice; the King is more important."

"The King…he is free." Chiaki breathed.

* * *

Yamamoto looks out over Seireitei, ignoring the pounding rain and storming sky. He already knows what is out there, even at the night. When a message from the Royal Guard, of all places, came, he had been shocked, but no longer. The Night King was out there, and if the legends were true…

_No one will be able to stop him_, Ryuuhito had told him before leaving.

Yamamoto crashes his staff upon the floor, alerting his lieutenant. "Send the butterflies out; an emergency meeting is called. Unohana is to drag Ukitake's bed to the meeting room, it's that urgent. Declare a code Night, and tell Shunsui that. Send out a messenger for Kurosaki Ichigo, and all available fighters in the human world."His lieutenant scurries off to send the messages.

Code Night was the code during the war five centuries ago; the legendary one only the oldest of Captains still remember.

The code which called for their defeat.

* * *

At the Urahara Shop, Urahara Kisuke drags himself out of his warm futon, with Yoruichi in it, to receive a message from an incoming hell butterfly.

"Hey, Yoruichi San…"

"What, Kisuke?" Yoruichi mumbles sleepily, waking fro her stupor.

"There's an alert out to all available fighters to return…"

"So? Which code? I'm not getting out of bed unless it's a red, Kisuke." Yoruichi prepares to snuggle back.

"What's a Code Night, Yoruichi San?"

Ten seconds later…

"WHHHHHHAAAAAAATTTTT!!!!?!!?!?!?!?" Yoruichi screams, waking all the other occupants of the Shop. "Code Night? This is serious shit!!!"

* * *

Within ten seconds, the Captains of the Gotei Juusantai set a precedent for the fastest ever gathering. All the Captains were lined up, neat, and some still yawning. Everyone, except for Kuchiki Byakuya, was present.

"Where is Captain Kuchiki?" Yamamoto questioned. "I don't know…" his lieutenant was about to reply as the doors swung open…

To admit Byakuya and another guest.

A hush fell over the room as Byakuya and the other guest walks in, Byakuya immediately turning to his spot in the meeting room, the guest remaining in the centre.

"Long time no see, Yamajii." The guest, Nurarihyon, said. More accurately, drawled."It's been a _long_ five centuries."

* * *

So, when Ichigo, Yoruichi and Urahara all came into the First Division quarters later, asking, "where's the enemy?",Yamamoto points to the nearby Nurarihyon, who had just raided the First Division kitchens to put something together…

* * *

_**Night is when terrible things emerge from their sleep and seek soft flesh and hot blood.  
Night is when unseen beings with no regard for what our people have built and no place in what we have deemed the natural order look in at our world from outside,  
and think dark and alien thoughts.  
And sometimes, just sometimes, they do things…**_


	43. Chapter 42:100,000 Demons

_**I do not own Bleach or its characters, but I own the OCs and this 'villain'. I'm planning to make this funny, not dangerous; this is a humour fic after all.**_

_**Night is when the dark creatures walk among us, in an independent stratum, coexisting with humankind…and then, unsuspected by man, they seduce unwitting victims into its shadows, where they disappear into a hell uncomprehended by us, never to see the light of day again…**_

* * *

On the whole, we're a murderous race. According to Genesis, it took as few as four people to make the planet too crowded to stand, and the first murder was a fratricide. Genesis says that in a fit of jealous rage, the very first child born to mortal parents, Cain, snapped and popped the first metaphorical cap in another human being. The attack was a bloody, brutal, violent, reprehensible killing. Cain's brother Abel probably never saw it coming. As Yamamoto looked at Nurarihyon so blatantly raiding his kitchens [okay, technically, the First Division's], he was filled with a sense of empathic sympathy and intuitive understanding. For freaking Cain.

Not only had Nurarihyon blatantly ignored the sanctity of the First Division quarters, called him by a ridiculous nickname and changing it every single time [he is not Santa's twin, thank you very much], and just completely ignored all the Captains to boot, he had…provided a food bill to rival the Eleventh's damage bill for Yamamoto to sign.

All within half an hour.

Ichigo Kurosaki, Kuchiki Rukia, Urahara Kisuke, Shihouin Yoruichi, all the other Captains, and Tessai all watched as Nurarihyon began to scarf down the biggest pile of food they have ever seen.

Especially Byakuya, who did not know why the Youkai venerated such a…idiot as their king, and if he were a lesser person, would have his jaw bouncing off the floor by now.

"Regardless of how much time passes, the First Division still keeps the best sake, Yamajii." The young man drawled. "Yo, Kyoraku, how are ya? Hope the sake hasn't given you a pot belly yet. Ukitake, you look like hell, as usual. Unohana San," All noted that he treated only the fourth Captain with even an ounce of respect, not seen with the SouTaichou, "you are still as beautiful as the last time I saw you; hardly a day over three centuries."

"Thank you very much, Nura Sama." Unohana politely replied. "Perhaps you could get to the point now. I do not believe that you, of all people, are so…unintelligent as to walk into enemy territory; you could have died."

"Thank you for bringing up the subject." Nurarihyon drawled, swigging a bottle of sake. "Yes, I want to die. However, not yet; if I do die now, who's going to judge at summer's Intellectus?"

"Oi, SouTaichou, who's this nut?" Zaraki shouted, though the berserker still felt a twinge of fear at someone who had dared to treat the old man so cavalierly.

"Say, why is a code Night sent out, SouTaichou?" Yoruichi interjected.

"Is there an enemy to fight, Jii San?" Ichigo asked.

"The enemy…is over there." All the Captains pointed.

Thus resulted in a One Piece moment where everyone went "EEEEEHHHHH?????"

"Why is the enemy here?" Ichigo asked them.

"Byakuya, perhaps you might want to answer that." Ukitake told the Sixth Captain.

As he told his tale, Byakuya wondered if some of his Sempai's insanity was rubbing off…

_Flashback [don't you just love'em? so convenient…]_

_Slowly, Byakuya turned to face upon the king who could so whimsically topple the power structure of Soul Society: the Nurarihyon, with the name of Nura Kazuya._

_Lightning flashed, illuminating the face: a sharp chin, combined with strong, high cheekbones and gaunt shadows, Nurarihyon's dark eyes stood out, shining at Byakuya. Unconsciously, Byakuya's hand strayed towards Senbonzakura, nervously shaking. This unassuming man commanded an air of power and fear, wearing it like the mantle of a king. Being a man of bearing himself, Byakuya recognised that bearing, of a man who knew his strength and his desires, that of a king. _

_Nurarihyon was smiling at him, arrogantly looking at the nobleman. "Where is the current head of house?" Nurarihyon had asked politely, bowing. _

"_That would be me. Do you have business with the House?" Byakuya had replied._

"_Why, yes, and no. I have business with the last of the line of Kuchiki Ruri. Perhaps that name is familiar to you?" _

"_Kuchiki Ruri…was my aunt, but she died before my birth."Byakuya confirmed; Ryo and Chiyuki gasped._

"_Ah yes. She has died, and without descendants, therefore in the Kuchiki House, whose last in line happens to be…you." Nurarihyon declared, pointing at him, "you will become her heir."_

_Nurarihyon moved closer; Byakuya had not even seen his legs move, or his toes, for that matter._

"_You look almost like Ruri herself, now that I think about it." Nurarihyon commented, hovering almost nose to nose to Byakuya. "I can safely carry out my mission then. Pray tell, which way is to the First Division? The roads have changed since my last visit, and even then Seireitei was a maze to begin with."_

_A hell butterfly floated in at that instant, carrying a message from Lieutenant Sasakibe: "Calling all Captains, the SouTaichou has declared a Code Night, repeat, Code Night, emergency meeting immediately. Only Captains to attend; and Unohana is to drag Ukitake there regardless of any symptoms displayed."_

"_Oh good, you're going there. May I accompany you?" Nurarihyon clapped with glee, smiling again. "Perhaps the Lady Kuchiki should stay here. Do not worry, Madame, it is not me to attack a Captain when not on the battlefield."_

_Byakuya could not refuse at all and this was perhaps the most logical thing to do…_

_End flashback._

"So _Byakuya_ showed the enemy the way into the quarters?" Yoruichi confirmed in disbelief.

"Enemy? Where, where?" Nurarihyon asked, looking in all directions.

"ISN'T IT YOU!!!???!!!" the less jaded Captains and Ichigo pointed out.

"Anyway, let's end this." Hitsugaya declared, drawing Hyorinmaru. "Fly up to the frozen heavens, Hyorinmaru!!"

The ice dragon roared, flying straight for Nurarihyon. Yamamoto stepped to the side immediately to avoid the onslaught.

An ice pick appeared in the Night King's hand, and the ice dragon was pinned to the ground, not far from the SouTaichou's podium. "Ooh, shaved ice!!" he exclaimed delightedly, much to Hitsugaya's confusion and chagrin.

"Hey brat thanks for the ice!!" Nurarihyon actually waved.

"My name is Captain Hitsugaya, not 'brat', you idiot!!" Hitsugaya yelled, a vein popping in his head.

Ichigo was staring at the ice dragon, pinned to the ground. _How powerful was this dude?_

"Anyway, I came here with a proposition for the Gotei to consider. I noticed that the bureaucratic Central Forty-Six is now gone, and I thank whoever who killed them, yes I thank the good lords up above that those id- the Central Forty-Six is gone." Nurarihyon continued. "So, I am simply here to carry out what I promised the Lapis Lazuli."

"The Lapis Lazuli? What's that?" Ichigo asked. Yoruichi answered him:

"The Lapis Lazuli is a codename given to the woman whom this guy nearly crushed the Royal Guard for, and nearly overthrew the Royal family just to place her as the queen."

_-. - What kind of reaction is that?_

"Thank you, miss…"

"Shihouin Yoruichi."

"Yes, and so, as the Lapis Lazuli died in battle, I surrendered having lost my reason to fight. Well, actually there was another factor where the spirit king sent troops after me, but I figured the lapis lazuli plays a bigger part in this case." Nurarihyon said. "Still, please do not take offence when I say that this is the first time I have met a Vaizard, Master…" he motioned to Ichigo.

"My name is Kurosaki Ichigo, and isn't it manners to present your own name first?" Ichigo questioned.

"Right, my name is Nura Kazuya, and I am the supposed enemy who broke out of the Royal palace, and whom the Spirit King is gunning for. Done." Nurarihyon introduced himself.

"Your proposition, Nura Sama?" Yamamoto dryly asked.

"Back to that; I realised that Soul Society was thrashed by an invasion not too long ago. It would seem just rude to attack when it is just getting back to its feet, no? The thrill of battle is to fight strong opponents, attacking the injured is a slap in the face for me."

He did not realise it, but Nurarihyon had just gotten Zaraki Kenpachi's seal of approval.

"So, I propose to leave me off until somewhere after midsummer, or you can let me carry out what I was going to give Ruri…"

The severe hysterics broken out at that convinced him otherwise. "True; it's not like Kuchiki Sama there wants my gift." he sighed.

"What were you going to give her?" Ichigo asked, having never seen even Unohana so panicked.

"Oh, I was going to give her this entire world. Nothing was too good for my jewel," Nurarihyon sighed. "So sad that she died. I was so torn up then, I tore her killer, healed him, then slaughtered his family and friends before his very eyes, and he was cursed to live as the beast that he was until his dying days, and all his descendants with him. An example of my punishment is there." Nurarihyon pointed at the stoic Komamura.

"Where was I? Oh yes, from how I see it, you people have two choices; leave me alone until midsummer, or you can kill me now. I am prepared for death." Nurarihyon stood, body shifting into a stance.

"Yamamoto Jii San, he hasn't done anything, why is the Royal Guard…" Ichigo had not finished his speech when the double doors flew open, revealing the most bizarre sight ever seen.

* * *

The double doors flew open in the dark night. Fog spilled out of the door's recesses, shrouding whoever's behind the door in dark mist.

As the room's occupants watched, a hole appeared in the mist, from which two shaggy shapes flew in.

One of the foxes had red, matted fur, sticking up roughly as it roared. The other fox had sleek, white fur and a plume upon its head, that jiggled as it howled. The two foxes were fully seven feet, not counting the _nine tails_ that waved independently behind the two, as they pounced onto a shocked Nurarihyon.

The russet red fox yelped, a cruel, inhuman voice that echoed around the room, waking up some Captains who were falling asleep, grating from within its sharp jaws:

"YOU IDIOT!!!!!!!"

"Why, for once, couldn't you head straight for the safe house?" a musical, melodic in contrast, voice came from the white fox. It sounded tired.

As the Captains watched this bizarre scene unfold, the two guards standing by the door ran in, screaming: "It's a monster!!!"

The two guards forgot to add one thing: plural, monster_s._

Then, Kurosaki Ichigo watched as every single creature known to Japanese folklore walked through the door. "Y-Youkai?" he stuttered. "Aren't they just a myth?"

"Kurosaki, you know what these creatures are?" Byakuya asked, surprised.

"Yeah, but aren't they myths in the real world? Wait, if this is the Youkai, then…" he slowly turned to Nurarihyon. "…you're the leader of them!! Right, you're Nurarihyon!!" he panicked.

"That is not surprising; I found myself married to a Kitsune one day."

"Nee Sama is a …"Rukia sounded outraged, the others mildly amused. Ichigo was laughing.

"Byakuya, how did that happen? You found yourself married to…" Byakuya twitched.

"The fox who froze you into ice Popsicle merely two months ago."

It was Ichigo's turn to twitch.

The roof exploded; all dived for cover as shrapnel rained down on the occupants. When Ichigo and company looked up, this was what they saw:

Eight individuals stared back at them: a squirrelly man, a woman with white hair, dressed in white, a woman dressed in blue, a young man in brown and green, an older affair of a human with slant eyes, a young man, clad in storm grey and wielding a large hammer, a man clad completely in red, and finally…

Standing on all fours with its strong tiger legs, two pairs of eyes, one pair upon its baboon head, another pair upon its snake head of a tail, the Nue roared to the storms, sending lightning raining down upon the Captains. Freaky; Zabimaru just managed to take out Captains. With a bionic upgrade.

"What the hell?" Ichigo swore.

"It's not hell," Nurarihyon told him. "It's the Hundred Demons' Night Parade. With me, Nura Kazuya, at its helm."

"What's more," he continued, "it's not just a hundred; it's a hundred _thousand_."

* * *

_**Sometimes, they do things…like now…**_

_**Please review ~**_


	44. Chapter 43:Cruel & Unusual Punishments

_**Warning: Contains LEMON. Might be a bit too vulgar and acidic for those with finer literary palates, but I was frustrated, so I needed the vulgar parts..**_

_**Where there is the brightest day, there is the darkest night.  
Where there is the intellect, there is the emotion.  
Fear what one does not know;  
that is the Youkai's power.**_

* * *

"Why a hundred thousand?" Ichigo asked. "I only heard of the Hyakki Yakou."

"There are ten Hyakki Yakou in one element, and there are nine elements, with another thousand Youkai as Wild." Nura explained. "Say, Akai, could you get off my solar plexus now?"

It took ten seconds before the strawberry realised that he was talking to the red fox.

"You, sir, need a good talking-to when I throw you back." The red fox grumbled. "Even the other Kings came to see you."

"Or they thought you needed rescuing, so they nearly started a war." The white fox added. "Kuroboshi has already gone to arrange the party in Tori Yama; the citizens await your return."

"The Spirit King needs to strengthen his security; standards have fallen since five centuries ago." Nura told them as they climbed off him. "Well, then, when the Royal Guard comes, and if this place isn't wrecked enough, they'll probably think the Gotei helped us escape and come after you, Yamajii."

"I assure you, this is enough damage already." Yamamoto replied dryly, motioning to the ceiling. Breathe in the irony.

"Hold on, exactly who's after you?" Ichigo asked again.

"The Spirit King; he sees my continued freedom as a threat to his rule." Nurarihyon replied. "Of course, that's common sense, seeing that I _am_ a threat to his rule, but that's not the point. Either way, until either I'm dead, or captured or he's dead slash captured, there's a war on."

"So, basically, you haven't done anything except be so powerful that he's after you." Ichigo clarified.

"Me and about…ten other individuals." Nurarihyon interjected.

"So, hold on…there are ten other people equally strong?" Ichigo almost yelled.

"Actually, there are eleven, but two have to be together in order to equal me, and I'm twice of any King." Nurarihyon proudly said.

"So who are the eleven?"

"Eight are up there." Nurarihyon pointed up. "Two are the foxes, Akai and Shiro." He pointed to the red and white foxes. "Then one more's somewhere, which I don't know, since the holder could have changed already."

A boom sounded in the distance, near to the entrance to the King's dimension. "Got to go. Will visit someday, bye." Nurarihyon replied as a tsume appeared behind him, and he and the other Youkai jumped in. The Kings flew off and the Foxes ran, crashing through the Division's walls into the stormy night.

* * *

Ten Captains, one strawberry, one midget, one cat woman, one shopkeeper, plus assistant, looked at the holes in the wall, the shredded ceiling, roasted flooring and the remains of the food pile [crumbs], in incredulity.

"That was officially the nicest villain I have ever seen." Ichigo summarised what everyone was thinking. "He didn't do anything to any living creature at all."

"He's got plenty of time to be nasty, if he wanted. He proved it with the lives that died in the war." Yamamoto coldly replied. "Legend spoke that the woman he loved just whimsically wished for the entire world in the palm of her hand, which she nearly got. But I agree; Nura might not respect me, but he's got reason, having lived for longer than me, and he likes to keep things where they were."

"So, now what do we do, Sensei?" Ukitake asked, as several men walked in through the entrance, bearing boxes upon boxes.

"The archives from the Palace are here. We need to find that last King, and convince her on our side. From what I remember, war can only be declared with a vote from all the kings, so if the last one's not present, no war can be declared." Yamamoto banged his staff upon the floor. "Move out."

* * *

Byakuya had been charged with searching the remaining books in the Kuchiki archives. He was prepared for the task, mentally tabulating the sections to search.

However, when he got back to the Kuchiki personal office, a stack of books met his gaze.

Chiyuki was seated in his chair, reading. Ryo was also seated, scratching something off a list with a brush.

"Oh, Kuchiki Sama, you're back. I was so worried when you went out with that…" Ryo choked for a while, and then recovered.

"Welcome back." Chiyuki said, not looking up at him as she flipped through. "How did the meeting go?"

"Rukia found out about you."

There was a slight sound of tearing paper, a gasp, a cough and then Chiyuki recovered enough to reply: "Oh?" tonelessly.

"Yes, all the Captains know about you being a Kitsune." Ryo coughed in shock, staring at Chiyuki.

"And?" Chiyuki lowered the book to look at him, but otherwise she looked unaffected.

"Now I am to look through the archives to search for one of your kind's Kings." Byakuya, equally stoic, replied. "Care to give a list, my dear?"

She openly blushed at the honeyed tone Byakuya was using. "Ryo Sama, perhaps you could tell Byakuya Sama."

Ryo took up the cue. "There is the Night king, whom we just met, and as of five centuries ago, there is Amaya of Water, Hiroki of Wood, Daichi of Earth, Munechika of Metal, Akio of Fire, Arashi of Lightning, Itachi of Wind, and finally Setsuka of Ice. This is the list of Kings, Kuchiki Sama."

Turning to Chiyuki, he asked: "Are you truly a Kitsune?"

"I see no reason to answer." Chiyuki replied.

"There are eleven people set as holding equal power to the Kings. Ryo has just named eight, so where are the other three, Chiyuki?" Byakuya asked her. "Surely you, of all people would know."

She looked at him, as if saying 'oh, you pitifully dumb thing'. "Who is the strongest in Soul Society's history?" she asked coldly.

"That would be Yamamoto SouTaichou?" Byakuya replied.

"Does Yamamoto look like a power-crazy Youkai to you, Byakuya Sama?" Chiyuki and Ryo asked simultaneously, slapping themselves ion the head for that thought.

"Well…" the penny dropped. "Wait…Kazumi Ryuuhito."

"Mmm. O Jii Sama is the red knight; O Baa Sama is the white queen. Figure out who is the black."Chiyuki told him, smiling already.

"I see. Is there any way you can tell me the last name?"

"You'll need to pay a price." Chiyuki told him. "No Kitsune ever speaks without reason."

"That is true, Byakuya Sama." Ryo acquiesced.

"Very well," Byakuya sighed. "Ryo, please help me get more books to search. And, make sure you are gone for at least two hours, please."

"What are you intending to do?" Ryo asked, puzzled. Then comprehension dawned. "I see. Enjoy yourselves, Kuchiki Sama."

As the screen closed, chiyuki turned to Byakuya with the exact same question; "What are you intending to do?"

"Your payment." Byakuya answered, walking closer to her. "Or maybe some torture is at hand."

"You could not possibly torture me." Chiyuki scoffed.

Byakuya pulled her chin forward, planting his lips over her own. They stayed locked in this position for a long time, all of her limbs losing strength as she fought a losing battle against the wall of need rising within her. _What is going on!!??_

"The definition of torture is never very specific," Byakuya said as he ripped her hakama off, pushing her legs up onto the chair. "Therefore, I have no idea as to what actually constitutes torture."

"What are you…"her words lost coherence as a soft fingertip brushed against her very core, sending spasms up her body.

'I'm torturing you,' he purred, stroking with deliberate slowness as he held her hands behind her, rendering her immobile. 'Or I'm pleasuring you; that are your choice.'

'You're a pervert, a bunny pervert, just like Nii Sama.' Chiyuki told him as she tried to pull her hands free.

'Speaking of which, he sent me an interesting present.' Byakuya continued. 'a complete costume from the human world, apparently called a bunny suit, wishing me happy birthday.'

'I assume you were going to wish me a happy birthday earlier tonight.' He told a dumbstruck Chiyuki. 'Well, it is barely midnight, and I intend to search a bit first, before I tell Ryo to go back. And then, that is where the real torture begins.'

* * *

'Kuroboshi, I told you to get the less expensive sake for heating, not the most…' Akai stopped mid-rant to look at his grandson, staring up into the starry skies.

In Tori Yama, where night forever fell and time stood still in the dark of the moon, the village was celebrating the return of their King, Nurarihyon. Still, just because there was no moon did not mean that no stars brightened the skies; Tori Yama had more stars shining in its skies than should be possible in reality.

'I told you not to call me by that nickname already, O Jii Sama. And why are you still in fox form?' Kazumi Chiaki questioned, looking at the huge red fox.

Flames leapt over the fox's paws; fur changed back to skin, paws into hands and legs, snout back to a normal nose, and the red fox's fur receded to its head, where it took the shape of red hair, smoothly changing to black. Soon, where the red fox stood was Kazumi Ryuuhito, dressed in red armour.

'I felt like it. Anyway, good party. Couldn't you get enough sake?'

Chiaki shrugged. 'I tried.'

Ryuuhito took a huge swig out of a _tokkuri_ sake jug that Chiaki was sure wasn't there two seconds ago. The beauty of Kameosa; not only was refilling the jug unneeded, the jug moves by itself. Kameosa ran the bars of Tori Yama, using them to serve sake to customers.

'Where's Chiyuki?' Ryuuhito asked, not sounding like he was worried sick of his granddaughter. Actually, if it wasn't for the party [and Kokoro's death threats], he would have hot-footed it to Seireitei as soon as he got Nurarihyon back.

'A King must always remain within Seireitei.' Was Chiaki's answer.

'I see, she still in there.'

'Yeah, and I just got a weird feeling…'

'What, Chiaki?'

'I think Byakuya just got my present.'

* * *

'This is a cruel and unusual punishment.' Chiyuki panted, as Byakuya undid the little bow at her neck, while she held her skirt up.

Yes, for those who have not figured it out…Chiaki is a bunny fanatic. So the bunny fanatic sent a bunny costume over to his junior. What a bad example to set… [Don't try this at home]

So, Byakuya made her dress up in the bunny costume [after several 'persuasions']. The costume was a halter top, combined with a skirt so tight that, to Chiyuki's horror, couldn't fit underwear. Other than this deviation from the norm, it still came with white ears, cuffs and the bowtie.

'Nonsense.' Byakuya told her as he licked her collarbone. 'Sempai has good taste with this. Normally I would not even consider going near this sort of thing.'

'Normally?' Chiyuki tried to struggle away from his hands, with seemed to have ingrained themselves between he legs. 'Don't…let go…' she panted, rocking her hips nearer to those fingers out of sheer instinct. 'Anyway, why are you doing this?'

'Sheer punishment. Since our first night together, I have been having these strange flashes. Including the more disturbing ones with me in it. So, I've decided that for hiding these dreams from me, I will punish you thoroughly, until you never think of another man, animal or even object other than me.'

'You're evil.' She hissed at him, gasping as she came. 'Ah…stop…now, other…wise…'

'Otherwise?' Byakuya questioned her as she closed her eyes, enjoying the sheer lust coursing through her blood, the balls of his thumbs rubbing at her very core.

When she opened them again, they flashed silver. One arm snaked to his chest, burning hot. The other hand went for his face, icy cold. When both hands touched him, a strange sensation rushed through Byakuya, and all became dark…

'_As I thought, it's you again.' A falsetto rang through the dingy library. When Byakuya opened his eyes, he found himself face to face with the silver eyed, white haired Chiyuki, dressed in full black. 'Why can't you ever leave my host alone?' Flames leapt out into the air, burning white-hot. 'Such like you should run far away. If she is ever hurt again, the Library will never recover from it. Leave, before you hurt her. As Memoria, I will not let you do so. Men are all worthless, no matter in the past, present or the foreseeable future. Leave her and never return.'_

'_I don't know your meaning,' Byakuya replied as he faced the irate madwoman, 'but I will never hurt her. She is mine, and that shall stay. You have no right to scare away what she wants.'_

'_Those that live in the dark can never come to the light. The White knight that is you cannot live with the creature that she is! It is your kind that has caused those of the past so much hurt. She will remain as that which stores the world's memories, like those before her, emotionally distant, but safe. Leave now, Kuchiki Byakuya, or I will destroy you.'_

_Another shadow appeared behind the Chiyuki clad in black; this one was wearing white, and had black hair, but her left eye glowed eerily silver, while the right shone bright blue._

'_Yami, enough. Yuki must have what she wants. For her, who cannot ever have a normal life, the least we can do is to allow her a normal love.' The one in white was crying; large tears rolled off her eyelids, dripping on the floor with a plop as she restrained Yami. The tears crystallised into ice, which covered the flames, extinguishing them._

'_Who are you?' Byakuya asked her. She smiled shyly; the vulnerable smile Byakuya had seen flashes of before._

'_I am one of the twin librarians of this Library, my name is Hikari, or Kari for short. This is Kurayami, or we call her Yami. We are Yuki's split personalities, here to help her cope with the stress of her power. My apologies for interrupting your evening. I hope you can at least never let her regret, or she will die…'_

He snapped out of it.

* * *

_**All the Kings' names have something to do with their element, indirect or otherwise, except for Munechika, which is the name of the blacksmith who forged the sword Kogitsunemaru [Little Fox]**_. _**This guy is the subject of a Noh drama. **_

_**Itachi means 'weasel' in jap, you'll know why I named him that later.  
**_

_**Kameosa is the name of a Tsukumogami, a haunted sake jug that never runs out of its original contents.**_

_**Night is a stealthy, evil Raven, Wrapt to the eyes in his black wings.**_


	45. Chapter 44:White Queen of Snow and Ice

_**But we that have but span-long life, the thicker must lay on the pleasure; and since time will not stay, we'll add night to the day, thus, thus we'll fill the measure.**_

_

* * *

_

Chiyuki stared at Byakuya, who had just snapped out of what was apparently a daydream. Perhaps it was a temporary dream, she thought. However, she already knew the cause of this particular thin; Kurayami was yelling out for his blood, and Kari was currently restraining her from further harming Byakuya or seizing control of her body and _then_ harming Byakuya.

Either way, one thing was clear; get her feelings under control, for if Yami didn't get him, the soon-to-be coming temperature drop will. And then she'd have another Popsicle on her case.

As Byakuya opened his eyes again, he realised he was back in his room. He also realised that Chiyuki was looking at him, and that she still had on the bunny suit his Sempai was smart enough, or brainless enough, to send to him. Strangely, Chiaki had elected to leave it with Senzo, probably due to the very reason that Byakuya _would_ have thrown it straight into the proverbial fire without another word.

Past tense, see; after seeing Chiyuki, the 'predator', dressed as his 'prey', every part of him had agreed that not throwing it was a perfect idea, and that he should send a thank-you card.

Anyway, a very awkward silence fell again, two pairs of eyes locked on each other, neither giving way.

Tentatively, Chiyuki decided to cut through the tension. 'Byakuya Sama?'

'I'm fine. I just lost track of my thoughts.' That sounded…what was that word? Ah, yes, _lame_. 'Take the top off, please.'

Too late; Chiyuki realised that she was still in the bunny suit. 'Wait, I…'

Byakuya stuck his left hand's fingers under the tight, bandage-like halter top, lifting in so that its edge dug deep into her chest, causing her sensitive perception to scream out. She lost all coherence again as he pulled the top over her arms and off her, baring her chest to his hungry gaze.

'Let the torture begin.' Byakuya declared as he held her arms behind her, holding her down as he slowly pulled her skirt off.

* * *

In Tori Yama…

'Nurarihyon, it's good to see you back.' The man clad in brown and green told him. 'You have no idea how the modern world is like now. So much to see, so many of the new, and yet they still venerate the old. We can all show you around.'

'I'll take you up on that.' Nurarihyon drawled, swigging some more sake by a big bonfire. 'Itachi, the fire's burning out.' he told the nearby squirrel-like man.

'How's the fire my problem?' The squirrelly man, looking barely in the mid-twenties though he was easily rivalling Yamamoto in age, spoke up.

'We need a fan, don't we?' the brown and green man, Hiroki, told him.

'Oi, you bastard, don't treat this Itachi Sama as a common object!!'

'Enough, Itachi. We all know you're grumpy about your last date again.' The young woman, shapely in her blue kimono, which looked like it was about to fall off at any moment, spoke to him. 'After all, it's not your fault that she left you…'

'That's because she thought I was two-timing her with you, Amaya, you bitch!!' Itachi yelled.

'Well, it was rather compromising, but you were really better off without that…'

'Itachi, Amaya, before the real world coasts begin to act up and a storm begins at sea, stop.' The old man with slant eyes, Daichi, told them off. 'After all, today is a day of celebration, and you have been arguing over this subject for a long time already.'

'Enough. We are here to celebrate.' The Nue walked in, changing back into a man, dressed in armour, wearing a tiger-skin breastplate and claws on his hands. 'Which means…'

Nurarihyon yelled out to the crowds of Youkai, his voice easily carrying across the large expanse: 'Fight!!!!'

Chaos broke out as all drew a weapon of some sort, beginning to fight senselessly.

'It's never peaceful around her.' The young woman, or more accurately, girl, in white, muttered, as she sipped tea by the sidelines.

'So, when do we overthrow the Shinigami, Nurarihyon Sama?' Daichi asked as he narrowly missed a blade, returning with a punch.

'When I can get a full vote, and when Midsummer comes.' Nurarihyon replied. 'Or if I can't find another reason not to invade by then.'

He knew that a spy was nearby, listening to his every word…_The Royal Guard's spy's sucks_, he thought.

'Hey, people, we have visitors.' He called, adding, 'oh, was the proper word _intruders_ instead?'

The fight froze into a tableau, which would have been funny if the intruder's life wasn't at stake.

He was quickly found out and brought before the Kings. 'Hmm, looks like Omitsukido. And a rookie, flying his first solo mission, too.' Akio, the one in red, observed. 'How dare they underestimate us!!? Why, should we give them a lesson?'

'Go ahead, Akio.' Nurarihyon told him. 'Yamamoto should know how I feel about intruders. The last one ended in my bath, of all places. Hiroki, you can take him and introduce your family to him, then hand it to Akio to put him out of his misery.'

To the surrounding trees he called: 'I know you're there, and you can get out now. If you foolishly try to rescue your comrade, I will ensure all of you meet the inside of the Fourth Squad morgue. Go back and tell Yamajii to raise the standards of his spies'

There was a slight movement, a rustling of leaves, and silence as the unlucky one who got caught was scared by the aura of fear Nurarihyon evoked, spontaneous urination occurred as the equally scary Kings of Fire and Wood dragged him off…

* * *

At five am in the morning the next day, the head chef of the Kuchiki household was headed purposefully towards the kitchens, aware that someone was already there before him. What he saw had already been expected, but it was nevertheless still a shock to see your employer in the kitchens. Especially considering that most nobles never stepped in unless absolutely necessary.

'Kuchiki Sama, surely there is no need for you to cook personally.' The chef told Chiyuki, who was brandishing a knife, slicing bacon with incredible speed.

'Nonsense, and even if there was no need, it has become a habit. Even if I cannot make high-class cuisine like Senjo San, I can at least make what I eat.' Chiyuki sent him off.

'But, Byakuya Sama…'

'Does not know, and is probably better off not knowing.' She said as she heatedly sliced a salmon into neat portions, and put them aside.

* * *

Byakuya woke up alone.

For a moment he was wondering what was he missing, who was supposed to be beside him, Hisana or Chiyuki…and then he woke up. Alone, in that large room that was his alone.

Chiyuki, he thought, and, wondering where she was, looked around. Her clothes were gone, all traces of her, obvious or otherwise was gone.

For a second he thought that last night was a dream, but then his body insisted otherwise; he had never felt such satisfaction after Hisana.

Pulling on his sleeping robe, he ambled to his private bathroom to freshen up. Again, even having just awoken, he was as immaculate as ever, although his hair was admittedly more ruffled. Not his fault there; Chiyuki, in a fit of climax, had run her fingers through his hair, and rammed her nails into his back, scoring down it in abandon. Of course, the severe temperature drop was extremely worth it, being able to have her curl against him intimately, but still…

_I will get rope, and ensure that next time, she will not escape_, he decided later. And if I catch her, what should I do…

At breakfast, which consisted of salmon fillet and rice, as usual, the servants noticed that Byakuya was in an extremely good mood. This was not very good when he was also rubbing his back, as if it was giving him some pain. What had the Lord and Lady been up to…Perhaps that was also best strangled fast.

* * *

At the Fourth infirmary, a full five hours later, Unohana stared wide-eyed at the long serrated marks on Byakuya's back. 'Did a Hollow scratch you?' she asked, rather shocked.

'No, my wife did.' He had answered back.

'Oh, your wife…' Unohana was still wondering exactly what were they up to, and what Byakuya had done to warrant such markings. 'What did you do?'

Perhaps I shouldn't have said that. 'I got her in a bunny costume, and made her…' the meaningful eyebrow gave it away.

Isane also stared as Byakuya pulled his kosode back on, hiding the marks.

* * *

'Really?!!?' every woman squealed at the Shinigami Women's association meeting, in reaction to Isane's news.

'Nii Sama has nail scratches on his back?' Rukia asked excitedly. 'And they're Nee Sama's?'

'Rukia, aren't you afraid that your Nee Sama is a Kitsune?' Nanao asked.

'No, it doesn't matter what Nee Sama is, I can sense that she is a good person.' Rukia replied. 'Furthermore, she loves Chappy the rabbit as well!!'

At last, the real reason.

Every female Shinigami, for the first time, other than Rukia, all thought: _As a toy or as food, I wonder…_

Kurosaki came in. 'Oi, Rukia, Ukitake said he needed your help…'

'Ichigo! Don't walk in during our meeting, you idiot!!' Rukia yelled as she hit the carrot top.

'Oww! I was ordered in! And it's a bit hard to refuse Ukitake when he pulls out that 'I'm dying; please fulfil this tiny wish' vibe.' Ichigo argued, rubbing his head. 'anyway, what's this I hear about scratches on Byakuya's back?'

After explanation, and about ten seconds…

'Waa! Really?' Ichigo had never heard of any bed action that sharp. 'I wonder how much Byakuya's back hurts now…'

* * *

'Achoo!' Byakuya sneezed as he finished the last of the day's paperwork and research [nil]. 'I wonder who is talking behind my back…'

'Are you alright, Taichou?' Renji questioned, as the clock struck twelve. 'Odd, I feel like something's missing…'

'Byakuya Sama, I brought your bento.' Chiyuki said as she stepped across the threshold. The subtle straightening of the Captain's back was not missed by Renji's eyes. Which were more than glued to Chiyuki.

'Glad to see you, Kazumi Sama.' Renji told her, clasping her hands like she was the saviour of all humanity or something like that, much to Byakuya's jealousy. 'I have a stalker problem that only you can fix!!'

'And what is this stalker problem, Abarai San?' Chiyuki asked, extracting her hands with some difficulty. Byakuya's jealousy was replaced by immediate sympathy for his Lieutenant.

'Your brother keeps harassing me. Just yesterday he tried to go for my ass.' Renji complained. Byakuya tried not to wince at his lieutenant's vulgar language.

'Get a date. That should solve it.' She told him as she placed the box carefully in front of Byakuya. 'Byakuya Sama, I'm going for training again, see you tonight.' She told him, turning for the door.

'Renji.' Byakuya stated as the door closed. 'Follow her; I do not want Chiyuki anywhere near the Eleventh Division.'

'Oh, you're worried that they'll eat her alive?' Renji smirked as he said that.

'No, I'm more worried about replacing the entire division.' The smirk disappeared.

* * *

True enough, once Renji went to the eleventh Division barracks, it lay in shambles.

The Sixth lieutenant was struck dumb with sheer terror as the Lady Kuchiki battled Ikkaku using staffs, and she was sweeping the floor with him. Despite Ikkaku releasing his Zanpakutou, the petite female beat the crap out of him and left him out to dry.

Then, as the pachinko ball head stayed there, she faced Zaraki on physical strength, almost winning, and, employing a cool judo move of some sorts, threw Zaraki over her knee. The Captain recovered though, proceeding to rush back into the fray almost immediately, clashing swords with her.

'Oh, Abarai San, it's you.' Chiyuki panted as she dodged Kenpachi's thrust, and kicked the back of his knee, causing him to lose balance. 'I'm training now.'

'This is training?' Renji was scared; training was not a battle royale with the combat division of the Gotei. Somehow, he felt…excited, wanting to test her strength. 'May I?' he asked, drawing Zabimaru.

She smirked. 'Try.'

* * *

At the same time, in the First Division barracks, Yamamoto watched as the woman in white's servant dumped hi spy onto the parquet floor in front of him. The spy was burnt, at least a second-degree all over him, and his expression was one of lust. An odd combination; Yamamoto was secretly worried what he was subjected to.

'He was lucky that I interfered straightaway after the torture.' The white woman, or more accurately, child, told Yamamoto as medics got him out. 'I have administered first aid and got him here, but I do not know how much was inflicted on him.' Her grey eyes flickered as she met the old man's eyes, timeless orbs that seemed incongruous on such a young face.

'I thank you, Setsuka Sama.' Yamamoto told her, fully aware that, from the fact that the room was freezing instead of its usual boiling cold, the Queen of Snow and Ice was impatient. Normally, the coldest of the Youkai Kings would not have personally come over, meaning that something was afoot. 'May I ask what the purpose of your visit is? I do not believe that you would come on a whim.'

'I'm here to look for a friend.' Setsuka told him. 'A very important one.'

* * *

_**For the night shows stars and women in a better light.**_

_**Please review…**_


	46. Chapter 45: Monsters in Seireitei

_**I noticed that in the last page, I wrote that the office was boiling cold. Well, mix Ryuujin Jakka with aircon…**_

_**I am loony by nature and lunatic by name, I am crazy by nature and moonstruck by game, thy name is this LaLunaticScribe Sama!!!**_

_**Note that this scene features one thing I've been dying to try out…office sex!!However, due to my prudishness and the restriction on explicit fics, I must restrain it…**_

_**Night comes, world-jewelled . . . The stars rush forth in myriads as to wage War with the lines of Darkness; and the moon, Pale ghost of Night, comes haunting the cold earth after the sun's red sea-death--quietless.**_

* * *

As the Queen of Snow and Ice left the building, the temperature rapidly changed back to its usual, which was Ryuujin Jakka versus the aircon. Normally, it would be about room temperature…except that soon, the temperature was raised enough to crack the walls.

'To what do I owe the honour of the King of Fire to visit?' Yamamoto stated dryly as another _tsume_ opened, and out stepped Akio of Fire.

To say that he was commanding was to be soft. Akio had strong features, and the whiskers curling about his mouth only intensified it. Beady eyes that glowed orange on a dark face that should only be about thirty years old settled on Yamamoto. High cheeks, a thin face and a widow's peak on the hairline, Akio sat across the SouTaichou, eyes never dimming.

'Nothing,' Akio boomed. 'I was looking for a prisoner that seemed to have been rescued by Setsuka. Still so compassionate, after so long.'

'The prisoner was unlucky enough to be caught by you.' Yama told him. 'And yet you have not told your reason for this visit.'

'No reason is needed to walk in, Genryuusai.' Akio told him. 'I hope Ryuujin Jakka is well.' He added.

'He is well, and…well, what does one say about a fire dragon to another of its kind?' Yamamoto shrugged. 'Still, surely you do not intend to walk out in broad daylight now, and risk possible attack.'

'Peace gets boring after a few centuries. I look for what I can get.' Akio told him, getting up. 'Sincerely, I would love another excuse to go all out.'

As the Fire King walked into the _tsume_, Ryuujin Jakka whispered to its wielder, 'One vote out.'

'True.' Yamamoto thought. 'Akio is most bloodthirsty; a result of sustained peace, I daresay. But if he were to go against us, many would die, with us thrown into that number possibly. We must guard and continue looking.'

* * *

In the Eleventh Division training grounds, the ground shook. The sky, ever changing, showed its cape of black clouds, booming successively to warn of the impending storm. Water puddles froze into hard ice, as two warriors clashed, swords ringing like bells in the day so dark, it could be night.

'Howl, Zabimaru!!' Renji shouted, swinging its released form, which extended, the bladed end heading towards Chiyuki, who dodged it neatly.

Chiyuki, armed with a staff, ran towards the Lieutenant, outpacing Zabimaru's return to strike his head. She bent forward, one knee thrusting out, and then jumped up against him, her elbow hitting his solar plexus. With that much force, Renji crumpled and fell back, during which she placed one foot on his center of gravity and her staff end against his throat.

'If I was holding a spear, you would have died.' She calmly told him.

'So much power and not even having any formal training.' Renji agreed as he got up. 'I don't die that easily anyway.'

'I am not a Shinigami; I don't have the required reiatsu levels. However, my family business requires me to be proficient enough in physical skills.' Chiyuki told him.

[SFX: What on earth requires that?]

'What is your family business, Kazumi Sama?' Renji asked nervously.

'I forgot…something to do with underworld and money…'Chiyuki trailed off.

'A moneylender?' Renji suggested.

'That's the part timer, what was it again…'

'Enough, I don't want to know.' Renji had heard enough stories to know that should he ever find out, he would disappear and no one will ever find his remains.

'Still, we really wrecked the place.' Chiyuki observed.

She was partly right; the Eleventh training grounds qualified as a crater already. The Eleventh Division stood by the sidelines, cheering and booing, raging for them to continue.

'Oi, Abarai, you're weak, getting your ass handed back to you like that.' Kenpachi booed.

'Zaraki Taichou, she is not a Shinigami, she's a normal soul!!' Renji yelled back.

'Pff, she can deal with me and Kuchiki, and Ikkaku to boot. _I_ don't hold back, neither should you.'

'Are you saying I should release my Bankai?' Renji yelled. 'That's insane!! I can't injure my Captain's wife, Zaraki Taichou!!'

'I heard she could take on Rukia and the ryoka girl at the same time.' Yumichika stated.

'Abarai San, we are still training, please do not lose concentration!!' Chiyuki yelled as she dug her feet into his face. He flew across the entire ground. 'I want to break loose, and that is not achievable if you do not concentrate.'

'Hey, girl, how about you take on me?' Kenpachi yelled.

'Fine, get your ass in here.' came the reply. Yumichika gasped; the princess knew Eleventh Division-speak. This was good and bad.

The petite noble Lady and the rough Kenpachi clashed swords, sending a wave of reiatsu over Seireitei. Spectators trembled, and Renji too, as she fought on even ground with one of the thirteen most powerful in the Court of Pure Souls.

The staff broke under the onslaught; instead of dropping it and retrieving another weapon, she wielded one piece in both hands, clobbering him in the side, the chest, and the back. As she got behind him, she kicked the back of the knee, but Kenpachi stood his ground, shifting his weight to stay standing.

'Not too bad.' He drawled. 'Like your grandfather. I first thought he was just a crazy old man, but after eating the dust during the twenty times I fought him, I have a whole new respect for him.'

'Good for you.' She told him. 'You aren't so bad yourself.'

A clapping sounded at the far side of the ground, right over where Renji stood. As everyone turned to see the newcomer, they met the black eyes of Kuchiki Byakuya instead.

'Renji, I told you I did not want my wife,' the all-male [well, mostly] Eleventh Division noticed the emphasis there, 'anywhere near the Eleventh Division already, and yet I see her fighting with Zaraki on Eleventh Division grounds. Give me a good reason why I should not put you on latrine duty for the rest of your service.'

'Er…it wasn't my fault?' Renji hazarded a guess.

Byakuya opened his mouth, stopped, closed it, and then spoke; 'That's actually a very good reason.'

'And,' he continued, 'because for once you have proven yourself smarter than the Neanderthal I had previously thought you were, you may have the rest of the afternoon off, and the evening as well.'

'Taichou that hurt…' Renji felt a bit depressed that he was called a caveman, and a it confused that his Captain was so nice all of a sudden. Unless…

'Who are you, what have you done with my Captain, and if you're Kazumi Chiaki, quit stalking me!!!' Renji yelled. The entire Division snickered.

Byakuya also ha an amused look in his eyes, a quiet sort of twinkling that made them seem like the storm clouds above. 'I assure you I am not Sempai dressing up. If I were, I would not certainly be in this Division without beating up a few surrounding people.'

'Chiyuki, in my office, now.' Byakuya made hold of her arm and dragged her back, ignoring her protests. 'Renji, do not even think of going back yet.'

'Whaa…' Renji got the drift. 'Is anyone up for sake?' he asked the crowd.

* * *

'Where am I?' Setsuka wondered later.

She had covered the first through Fifth Divisions already and, after taking a wrong turn, got completely lost.

'Where is…'she caught a whiff of a certain reiatsu in the air. 'Not that one, that's later.' Setsuka murmured. 'Hyori, where are you? You promised to come here…where are you, Hyori…'

* * *

Byakuya stepped back to admire his work in his Kidou-sealed office. 'You look stunning.' He told Chiyuki.

'Says the one who tied me up.' Chiyuki answered, trying the bonds tied firmly behind her back. 'Why am I tied on a chair, in your office, and what are you doing, you…nmmmph…' she could talk no further as Byakuya kissed her.

As the lips parted, she found an opportunity to speak: 'why am I…'

'I did not find you beside me when I woke up.' Byakuya murmured as he pulled her kosode open, running his fingers over her bandages, sending shivers up her chest, making her gasp and pant. 'It was very disappointing, waking up alone. I then made it a point to tie you down next time. But for now, we should always make up for lost time, am I not right?'

'By lost time, you mean…'her eyes glowed silver as he pulled her bandages off, and then his gloves, proceeding to cup her breasts gently. '…what, exactly?'

'Not much, just ravishing you all over.' He purred into her ear, nipping the earlobe affectionately. 'I will do this,' he slipped his hand over the hem of her hakama; loosening the belt enough to allow him access, 'and then make you scream my name out in ecstasy.'

'Wait, stop, don't even try…' her words were lost in a moan as he ran a finger over her sex.

'Excuse me? Speak louder, my dear.' Byakuya absently told her, but his eyes were still amusedly twinkling.

In reply, she brought her foot, which had not been bound, to his knee. He groaned, dropping on one leg. As he dropped, she quickly worked the knots free by fire, and, the burnt rope dropping off her wrists, tackled him to the ground.

'Payback.' She hissed as she pulled his scarf off. She then plucked the _kenseikans_ out of his hair. 'Hate the curlers.' She muttered, just barely loud enough to be heard, as she tossed it to the side.

'Well, looks like someone decided to get wild.' Byakuya whispered his deep baritone rife with feverish lust, music to her ears. 'Where was I…?'He continued, ripping the rest of the kosode off her. 'you smell nice, even though I didn't let you shower for long.' He rasped, fingers curling over the beltline of her hakama.

'The two of you, if you want to continue, please do so in your house.' A dry, cold voice sounded near the supposedly closed window. The pair looked up to see a pair of timelessly cold grey eyes on a doll-like face. Setsuka stood on the windowsill, eyes narrowed on the couple.

'Shirahime,' Chiyuki spoke, a quiet fury creeping into her voice. 'What brings you here, and interrupting my time?' Byakuya felt the difference in temperature rise, and the power radiating off both women as they stared off.

'A vote is to be carried out soon; no King can work with another for long. You should know that, as Memoria, you are to record the outcome. Tonight the vote is carried out, when the Royal Guard is busy.'

'I assume that you are the Queen of Ice, Setsuka. ' Byakuya spoke, interrupting them. 'What does a keeper of memories have to do at this?' he asked Setsuka.

'Perceptive Shinigami. Very well, as answer to your question, there are eleven beings who can match the Night King in strength; his two Knights, the eight Kings, and the last, uncrowned Queen, the Black Word.'

'Shirahime,' Chiyuki interrupted her. 'Do not say more than necessary. I will be there, say no more.'

The tension was as thick as the air, which was saying a lot, considering the air itself was on the point of solidification, as the Queen of ice and Snow faded, leaving a _closed_ window.

* * *

The pair of them were still stuck in a compromising position, Chiyuki realised, when she looked own and saw his astonished face.

'I apologise for that intrusion but...' She said as she got up and began to dress, but was pulled down again by him.

'Don't, I don't need to know what you keep from me, unless it involves you leaving.' He whispered, buried against her collarbone, strong arms holding her petite form to him. She blushed, though he couldn't see that. 'I will not let you distance yourself against me, nor will I press you for information unless necessary. Time is short, and during this little time we have, I want to be with you.'

And so they stayed that way, until the Sixth Division began banging on the door, asking why the Captain had sealed himself in the office, and the Lieutenant blew his way in. nobody asked further when said lieutenant was sent flying out of the office, and the Captain came out, looking for all in the world like a demon from hell.

And when asked, said Captain replied curtly for Renji to finish the rest of the work and then walked off, his wife hot on his tail, yelling at him to return...they didn't hear what he was supposed to return, but the nearby Eighth Division swore it was 'a garment of some sort', leading to speculations that the noble Kuchiki Byakuya was a closet pervert, though it had not been proven...yet.

* * *

Later in midnight, nobody wanted to know the cause of Renji's screams of something over the Captain's neat handwriting.

Everybody was busy dealing with their sandals running off by itself, dancing all over Seireitei, or their shihakusho moving, or even Ukitake's comforter suffocating him, or the various monster seductions, or disappearances, or whatnot supernatural stuff, including the guy who runs backwards on all fours, exposing his buttocks to every single person he meets, with an eyeball glowing in the posterior. Oh, and let's not forget the serious cacophony of Japanese classical music over by the Eleventh division, whose members have not a musical bone in their body, and the flying scissors over at the Fourth Division.

How weird, there are monsters in Seireitei.

* * *

_**I heard the trailing garments of the Night Sweep through her marble halls.**_

_**The youkai mentioned are very popular. See .com to find these creatures of the night....  
**_


	47. Chapter 46: Open Your Eyes

_**See The Obakemono project to read.**_

_**The night has a thousand eyes, and the day but one; yet the light of the bright world dies with the dying sun.  
The mind has a thousand eyes and the heart but one; Yet the light of a whole life dies when love is done.**_

_

* * *

_

'You are insatiable.' Chiyuki told her husband that night.

'Merely due to fortuitous chance that Rukia is in the human world right now with Kurosaki.' He murmured, his eyes alight with night's passion as he thrust into her naked body.

'I am still going to leave soon, so I fail to…see the point…in your doing this.' Chiyuki finished, moaning with pleasure as they became one.

'The point is to persuade your highness to stay with me.' Byakuya told her as they lay together, spent by their lovemaking, in only an under robe.

'Are you trying to persuade me with sex? And stop with the highness, I only agreed to role-play because I found it amusing.' Chiyuki asked him, raising an eyebrow. _And for another reason._

'Did it work, your highness?'

'My legs died, so yes, it worked…except I do not know what to tell Nii Sama. Hime Nee sent a message asking when I am going to come back, Nii Sama locked himself in or something like it.'

'We will fix that soon, I will even face down Ryuuhito Sama if necessary. I will keep you with me, no matter what may come. I promise you that much, Chiyuki.'

She shivered, though it did not have to do with the fact that the temperature was close to zero. 'Say my name, again.'

'Chiyuki.' He whispered gently, his breath warming her earlobe. 'How cold you seem, Chiyuki.'

She moaned again, as he held her against him, his length insistently pressing against her. 'Byakuya Sama…'she whispered back.

'Now we seem more like lovers. Continue.' He continued to gently stroke, her struggling movements ceasing, body pressing up against him. 'I remember, I used to hate you. I thought you were an unreasonable woman, to threaten me.'

'At that time, O Jii Sama felt the weakness in the Gotei. The only way to stop him wrecking Seireitei on Nurarihyon Sama's orders was the agreement. It was by that harsh choice that I acted by, though now it does not seems so harsh with the absence of duty.'

She stiffened, as if waking from a dream. 'I must also leave. There is no reason to stay by your side.' Freeing herself from his embrace, somewhat reluctantly, she looked at him.

'What are you doing?' she asked, as he pulled her close. 'I…am not of your kind. Now that our duty is over, I will give your freedom back.'

'In that case, I choose you over my freedom.' Byakuya said, pulling her close. 'As for wherever you should go after this, which I presume when I am asleep, I will follow. When I removed your clothing, I felt paper, which should be the annulment form. I also caught some servants packing your trunks. I can infer that when I am asleep, you would use my thumbprint to sign it, and then wipe my memory and leave. You were going to leave already, were you not? Answer me, Chiyuki. '

'I…I…' taking a breath, she ploughed on.

'I am not human, do not judge by your ways. You know too much. Find a new love, Byakuya Sama. Sleep, and when you awaken, never remember me.' she whispered, power rolling in the cadence of her words.

As she dressed, Byakuya made to grab her, but found that his sight was blurring. 'What is happening…?' he slurred, fighting the compulsion. 'Chiyuki…'

The vixen looked back, and as she walked backwards, towards the door, Byakuya saw a sparkling tear fall from silver eyes…

Silver. Kurayami. _The bitch_. Byakuya dearly loved to take her neck and wring it.

'Goodbye, Byakuya Sama.' She whispered, jumping out into the night, fading into the dark.

* * *

'Messy. You look like hell, or you were fighting a spell.' Chiaki told him an hour later.

'Both, the spell was your sister, the hell was those dogs you put outside.' Byakuya told him,. 'She placed a compulsion, used my thumbprint, and then left me under the compulsion.'

'Yeah, Kurayami can be a real pain. And as for why I know, that's my secret.' Chiaki told him, handing a glass of clear brown liquid over. 'Drink.'

By some miracle, the drink tasted not too bad. 'What is it?' Byakuya asked after downing the glass.

'Something that helps the compulsion until you catch Chiyuki and make her reverse it.' Chiaki told him. 'Whatever meeting the Kings hold will be tonight, when the Youkai make a ruckus in Seireitei. During that time, a full memory wipe would take about an hour, and must be implemented by the witching hour, or it won't take. So you have…' Chiaki checked his watch, a strange affair festooned with stars, '…roughly two hours to get in and get her back.'

'Why did Chiyuki do this? We were getting along so well.' Byakuya muttered.

'It's not Chiyuki, its Kurayami, the split consciousness. Kurayami guards the Memoria jealously, and with the power you have over Chiyuki, she simply acts to stop it. The only way to stop Kurayami is the world's stickiest trap.'

'What is the world's stickiest trap?' Byakuya asked.

Chiaki showed him; an affair of gold, topped with a solitaire diamond, the ring winked at the Kuchiki scion, who stared dumbstruck. 'A ring?'

'Not _a_ ring, _the_ ring. This, my friend, is the wedding ring. I assume you were going to get it, but somehow forgot, right?' the ex-Captain asked kindly.

'There you have it.' Chiaki told him when the other nodded. 'a physical bond strengthens the bonds already existing between husband and wife, a symbol not only to Yami, but to the world, saying 'this is mine, don't touch'. It's not the material that's important, but the meaning. To us, we look for loopholes in the deals we make. This ring is an iron-clad guarantee of their bond. Jade is infinitely more preferable, but gold suffices too.'

'Right.' Byakuya said, drawing the word out. 'Now, where is Chiyuki?'

'Probably in her inner world. Yes, I can ace my inner world as well, but the point is how to rip the fabric of reality to get in. I've already helped you enough as a friend and brother-in-law, but I can offer no assistance here.'

'Sempai, how do I get in?'

'You can rip the fabric of reality apart?' Chiaki asked.

'No.'

'Then there's the problem. Normally, we leave a gate attached around here, with a password of some sort. I have no idea where is the gate, do you?'

'I…' Byakuya spaced out. Where, where would I hide a gate?

_I would hide it in a place deemed impossible._

**Who are you?**

_Chiyuki, no time, Kurayami's subjecting my conscious state. Must be something to do with that you talk in your sleep._

**What does that have to do with her?**

_You called out HER name, jealousy probably gave her a chink; let her in to protect myself from being hurt further. Sorry, love you; sorry to disturb your thoughts, and look in the mirror, you look like hell._

**Somehow, that hurt. We will have a talk on this when I drag you back.**

_I'm all yours. Just hope you can take down two of me. And get some rope._

Byakuya snapped out of it. Blinking his eyes, he looked at his Sempai, who was staring out into the night sky, an interested look on his face as he studied the stars. Eyes glowing an eerie yellow, Chiaki looked out.

When he looked in again, the eyes were dimming back to its original chocolate. 'I apologise for even talking about the form.' Chiaki told him. 'But Chiyuki should not have any feelings that could turn into something that would hurt her. Such emotions could turn out quite disastrous.'

'Why?' Byakuya asked, puzzled.

'Imagine life with all its triumphs, its sufferings, and its pain. Now imagine a second, independent set, added onto the first set. And a third set, and a fourth, and so on, coupled with the memories of nearly every soul in the known dimensions. All the feelings, the memories that constitute her power, all in one mind, unable to forget, with the Memoria's eidetic memory. Now, multiply that number by about ten thousand years or so, passing from woman to woman, immortal to immortal.'

'That's a lot.' Byakuya said, rather concerned.

'Since they could not reduce the outside memories, the Memoria figured that if they could distance themselves emotionally to reduce their pain, they could keep their sanity. And it worked, they could continue, passing the gift on down the ages. The gift could be passed to any woman, so long as they named a successor, and it could also be passed from mother to daughter.

My grandmother inherited the gift, and the rest of us, to some degree. She took up a position within the Court, and so got rid of it, but it fell to my mother to carry it.

Then, when my father died, my mother was so heartbroken, she passed that curse, and so her pain, to Chiyuki, a mere ninety at that time, and promptly ended her life. Now chiyuki is forced to carry our mother's pain for all of eternity. All those hatred, that knowledge, is the charge of Kurayami, Hikari and Chiyuki. Add to that Chiyuki's disastrous love life, the pain already wrought, and you know why Yami's on high alert.'

'What on earth did I say last night?' Byakuya asked him.

'How should I know, I am not psychic.' Chiaki replied.

'You seem to know everything.' Byakuya countered.

'Well, judging by Kurayami's disastrous reaction, I would judge that you called out Hisana's name in your sleep. No other name has more power than one of a ghost. Hisana, who is dead, against the new girl, who feels painfully jealous, yet cannot express it, not to mention the slightly unstable psyche done by those memories and her own, and her own youth and ignor- no, not that- innocence, she has no idea how to compete and so chooses to bow out of the competition.'

'How did you know that? Forget it, I don't want to know, and time is short.'

'Well spoken. Did she say where to look for?'

'No, just that I look like hell and that I should see the mirror.'

'Byakuya, learn to see the double meanings; just because we say something, doesn't mean that there is just one interpretation.' Chiaki chided. 'For example, the word could have the same meaning, just a different form.'

'Sempai, so does that mean that I should look in a mirror? How many mirrors are there?'

'Plenty. Even this will do.' Chiaki said, pulling a pocket mirror out. 'Close your eyes.' He ordered. Byakuya complied.

'This mirror reflects your image. What colour is your hair?'

'Black, Sempai.' Byakuya was about to stop this charade, but Chiaki hissed, 'play along if you want to get in.'

'Now then, attire?'

'Black shihakusho, coupled with white haori, gloves and scarf, complete with kenseikans, with Senbonzakura at the side too, if you must insist.'

'Good, good. Lastly, are you smiling or frowning?'

How obvious. 'Frowning.' Byakuya replied.

Chiaki sighed, a mournful sound, like a breath of wind. 'Open your eyes.'

* * *

As Kuchiki Byakuya opened his eyes, he noticed one thing: his reflection…

Was grinning maniacally, like that I'm-a-loony type of grin. Byakuya jumped back out of shock, nearly crashing into the shoji screen, though he was in the middle of the room.

Reflection-Byakuya crooned, his baritone issuing out of the pocket mirror:

_The snow falls,  
Winter comes.  
The wind flows,  
Winter runs.  
The sun hides,  
What is it?_

* * *

_**The answer is on the chapters before. It's pretty obvious. **_

_**Please review ~**_

* * *

_**For there is no day however beautiful that is not followed by night.  
Fr., Car il n'est si beau jour qui n'amene sa nuit.**_


	48. Chapter 47: Darkness&Light, Fire&Ice

_**Dark the Night, with breath all flowers, And tender broken voice that fills With ravishment the listening hours,-- Whisperings, wooing, Liquid ripples, and soft ring-dove cooing In low-toned rhythm that love's aching stills! **_

* * *

'What kind of riddle is this?' Byakuya said out loud. 'A white night.'

Such a play of words; snow falling makes it a white night, literally. Add the characters of the words itself, it reads: _Byakuya_.

She used my name to guard it, he realised.

'Well put.' His voice answered, from the mirror it was still imprisoned in. 'See the light, for the dark comes before the dawn.'

And then his vision faded, as all went into the inky darkness called night…

* * *

'What is with the black, the fading and so on?' Byakuya muttered later as he stepped through the mirror.

He found himself in the dark, dingy library. Now that he was actually here, he could hear whispers, which eerily seem to originate from the bookshelves, laden with books, scrolls, even clay tablets and bamboo sticks tied together in a scroll. It was pretty obvious that this lace held an inherent history and power.

As he walked on, from the shelves holding clay tablets, the whispers grew almost a bit louder, as he neared the old classic hardback books. Walking on, he spotted his own book among it, and a few other titles.

The books are arranged according to age, he realised. I must have landed in the memories of those about a few thousand years ago. And now…somewhere in the last decade, judging from that the books was a _tankobon_ manga format, where the whispers were loudest.

The shelves abruptly petered out into a circular area, where an honest-to-god tree grew, and its branches spreading out to throw the dark shadows over the library. Oddly, the tree's leaves were varying in size, coming in brown, white, black, red and any other shade writing paper comes in.

That however did not attract his attention.

The silver-haired, silver-eyed Chiyuki glared at him from her position on the tree. Seated on one of its lower branches, her black shihakusho, perilously close to that of the Shinigami, her imperious gaze felt like it was burning the air.

'Why are you here?' she hissed, flames burning blue popping out of the surrounding air. 'I told you to leave us alone.'

'Chiyuki is not your property. She is my wife, and I have come to claim her, as such.' Byakuya calmly replied.

'Know your place, Shinigami. I am her pride and intelligence, and thus a part of her. You do not understand women, yet you try for the heart of a Kitsune, a Fox goddess. Hubris, Shinigami. And for that which injures my pride,' a sword of concentrated fire appeared in her hand, 'die for your mistake.'

Byakuya had barely drawn Senbonzakura before fire met steel. Yami let a yell ring out within the cavernous library, as fire flickered, and Kuchiki Byakuya began fighting for his life.

Byakuya understood the concept of pride; hell, he lived by it. In the Zanpakutou rebellion, it was probably his own repressed emotions dictating to be freed that caused him to turn against the Shinigami. Still, nothing in the world prepared him for a Kitsune's crazy idea of pride. They were arrogant enough to declare themselves as goddesses?

Okay, so they were called that in the real world, and she was beautiful enough to justify that much, still…

'Eat this.' she snarled, throwing a bright blue fireball at him, which he dodged…barely. Running close to him, she kicked out, catching his foot, and throwing him off balance.

Luckily, he recovered in time to shunpo out of the way before the sword of flames landed where his neck was a split second ago. Kurayami screamed, a high sound that sent his hair standing on edge, as she swung the entire sword in his direction.

He jumped out of the way of the crescent of fire flying towards him, bumping into…was that a chain?

He looked back. Another Chiyuki lookalike was staring at him, dressed in a thin white cotton underrobe and a length of silver chain that tied up all her limbs, leaving her immobile. Byakuya raised an eyebrow at exactly where the chain was on her body; he could see a lot of private areas that would have most men begging for it already. She was gagged, but he could see her eyes clearly; one blue, one glowing silver.

'Thank you.' She said in a musical voice as he removed the bind. 'Look out!'

Byakuya managed to block Yami's strike in time. Yami shrieked, jumping back from a gathering of sharp ice blades that formed out of the air.

Byakuya looked at her, then at the other. 'my name is Hikari, the other personality.' Hikari told him, as she fashioned a katana out of ice. 'Thank you for releasing my chains. Now then, if I am right, time is short. Find Chiyuki, prevent the trigger. I will hold Yami off, but you do not have that much time.'

'I saw you.' Byakuya whispered. 'you were the other librarian. You told me never to let her regret her choices.'

'Yes.' Hikari told him, conjuring an ice wall to deflect an oncoming fire. 'Kitsune are vulnerable to their own feelings, regret alone can kill them. They are perhaps the only species that can die by regret. She is scared, unable to cope, and confused. I too hope you can at least let her love.'

'I will.' Byakuya answered without hesitation.

'Child. A mere child. Go forth; the beast will awaken soon.' Kari told him. 'She is there, at the end of the tunnel.' Kari pointed to a bookshelf on the right.

As Byakuya sped down, Kari hefted her sword. 'It is time for you to be dominated.' She told Yami.

* * *

_In Tori Yama…_

'What is going on?' Setsuka asked her peer, Amaya of Water, as a vortex of fire and wind blew near the Stone table. Nearby, vines of thorns creeped over the battlefield, only to meet rocks and sand.

The Stone table of Tori Yama was special; it served as the OK Corral when two or more sides practiced diplomacy by murdering as many members on the other team. Being part of the area actually existing outside the flow of time, it was easily reparable by any of the Kings, and could be easily any kind of field. Like in this case, where it was a desert field. It also served as a meeting area for the Hyakki, or the Council of Tori Yama, the stadium for the Intellectus, a place to hold festivals, a Coliseum, the Court itself, and, most importantly, the slave auction- er, I mean, bartering of goods for employment. Or when unwitting human souls ended up in here, to be sold to other Youkai for unknown, dark purposes.

'Akio and Itachi had a disagreement, or more accurately, Akio picked a fight. And then Hiroki pissed the old fox Daichi off, so now four kings are blowing off some steam before the vote tonight.'

'Because of the tensions there, Amaya?' Setsuka voiced.

'Yes. I believe Nue will come soon.' Amaya replied as true to word, the tiger-skin wearing Nue of Lightning showed up, whooping and jumping into the fray.

Overhead in the sky above the table, Itachi kicked in a slicing motion, sending a wind whistling over, which was met by the fire dragon, curling and uncurling, a Japanese dragon, belching smoke and flames. Akio blew several fireballs back, only for them to be countered by slicing wind. Then, he blocked an attack from behind made by Itachi, who ran back immediately to avoid the fire.

'Truly Itachi of the Kamaitachi.' Akio noted. 'Fast as the wind, unpredictable as a weasel, with the mobility and speed both the north wind and the weasel is known.'

'Firepower that could not be matched, unless only by a volcano. Really the strongest of the fire dragons.' Replied the squirrelly young man, dressed as usual, in ninja black.

Below the flying pair, thorns met rocks, roots met sand, and flowers faced stones. Hiroki stood in full demon form, a kabuki mask of a tanuki on his face, dressed in kabuki garb, tail waving lazily as he waved his hands about, leaves trailing in the wind towards the other kabuki player, this one wearing a fox mask, nine tails of silver fur trailing behind, rocks rushing to crush the leaves.

'Young whippersnapper! Do not underestimate the oldest of the eight Kings!' the fox roared, sending a huge boulder rolling towards the BakeTanuki, who held out a hand, from which vines shot out, restraining and crushing the rocks into dust. 'Old man, stay out of my business!' he roared back.

'Old! I'm barely five thousand!!'

'Time to go, old man.' Nue yelled, jumping into its true form, its tiger claws flicking out to Daichi's direction, from which a bolt of lightning shot out, nearly hitting Daichi, but missed by a mile.

'Missed, idiot!' Daichi yelled.

As five Kings faced off in a battle of apocalyptic proportions, Setsuka asked Amaya: 'Do you feel something?'

'Nurarihyon Sama's crying. I introduced him to One Piece, and he got hooked on the episode where Merry died.'

Setsuka sweat dropped at that.

* * *

Back at the tree, the fighting sounds continued, clashing of fire and ice ringing over the place.

Having already reached the end of the shelves, Byakuya stared at what lay before him.

Huge and intimidating, the white fox lay there. Fully seven feet in length, not counting the nine white tails lying limply beside it, the white fox lay there, eyeing the Captain through eyes of blue…Brilliant, sky blue. Chiyuki's eyes.

The fox growled, getting up on all fours to face Byakuya. He dropped to his knees, face to face with it. 'Chiyuki?' he asked, nervously.

The fox faced away from him, backing into the wall. A similar chain was clamped around its right forepaw, holding it there. Byakuya grabbed it and pulled it to him.

Meeting the beast's eyes, Byakuya lost himself in that blue…

_That pounding; the darkness calls, time to hunt…rip, tear, shred…no, this is not human…but I am not human, why do I hold on to this reason?_

_That feeling, what is this…so hot, so feverish, need to…control…no, mate…come hither.._

_Why? I want to run free, throw power here and there, and assert independence…_

_Walk free in the dark, a born predator…_

_Byakuya Sama, he hates me…_

_I'm a monster…I'll live forever, and even after he dies…_

_He'll leave, just like all the others, so many who never see me…_

_He loves a dead soul over me…what is this feeling?_

Over again and again, Byakuya experienced that pain, that loneliness, such hatred, such sadness…he finally saw all her pain, all her worries…how she could not fully let go, or his life could be at stake…

_How dare he try this…but for some reason, I love it…_

_I don't want him to go…but letting go is better for all…I don't want to…_

He met the blue eyes again, lips opening to say:

'Stay with me. Don't go. Even if our time is short, we will treasure that which is temporary. Chiyuki, I do not care if you are a fox, or even if you are a Youkai. You are my wife, and will stay that way.'

His hand shaking, he pulled out a ring, the solitaire diamond winking in what little light there was.

'Kazumi Chiyuki, will you marry me?'

* * *

'AAHHHHH!!!' Yami screamed in pain, as she felt waves of reiatsu boil the room.

Kari stared t the sight, the fire fading into the dark, Yami collapsing to her knees. 'Yami!" she screamed, catching her fallen counterpart before she hit the ground.

Kari eyed the shelves, her one silver eye flickering. 'He's done it.'

* * *

The fox howled out to the ceiling, a more inhumanly beautiful sound never heard by human ears. Byakuya felt the feelings; the joy, the raw lust of predators, as the fox continued to howl. Testing the hunter's intelligence to the limit, their stamina and strength to the last, to the physical and mental limit.

White fur shifted to black hair and white skin, paws shifted to hands and feet, the snout reduced to a normal nose and mouth, and Chiyuki sat before him, on her knees, nude, her blue eyes still ever brilliant as she hugged him.

'I'm back.' She tentatively spoke. Byakuya nodded, slipping the ring on her finger. Then, he ran his fingers up her spine, down it, enveloping her petite, curvy frame into his arms.

'Welcome back.' He agreed. 'And thank you for violating my thoughts.'

She blushed. 'I only just realised that I actually have contact with your memories. So you must have some of mine as well, or some of the Memoria's. I simply employed that connection. Kuchiki Byakuya, I command you to stay awake and not to forget.'

Byakuya felt the compulsion lift, like a weight off his heart. 'So I won't forget you?'

'No.'

'And you won't try to leave?'

'No.' she curled closer into his arms.

'And you won't make me forget some other time, wipe everyone else's memory and then…'

'No, Byakuya Sama. And to seal that, I will give you a Name, the ultimate seal of trust between couples in my world.'

'I see. A name holds power, so this name…'

'Will, effectively bind me to you. Forever, to death and beyond. With this, I can no longer leave.'

She took a deep breath. 'My name is…'

* * *

_**Nearing the end already…just a bit more...**_

_**Dark the night Yet is she bright, For in her dark she brings the mystic star, Trembling yet strong, as is the voice of love, From some unknown afar.**_


	49. Chapter 48:Voting is underway

_**When it draws near to witching time of night**_.

* * *

The battlefield is deserted, save for the Kings. As five of the high lords of Tori Yama walk out of the Stone table, battered, bruised but otherwise satisfied, Amaya douses them with water, flowing out from a nearby river.

'Really, you people wrecked the field.' She told them as Setsuka handed each of them towels, except for Akio and Hiroki, who could dry off by themselves. 'And just in time to change it, too.'

'Where's Nurarihyon?' Itachi snarled, claws itching.

'Here.' Nurarihyon himself drawled, walking out of the nearby shadows, making most of them jump. 'Ready for the meeting? I call it that but an easier word would be fight-out.'

'True enough.' Setsuka agreed with the sentiment. Generally, disagreements were solved by aforementioned method. But, with the Intellectus looming ever closer, all the factions were conserving power for the big battle royale due on the height of summer night.

A breeze blew, whispering its secrets over all…

* * *

Byakuya eyed his wife in the clothing she had kept in there. A black robe, with the red underrobe collar sticking out, graced by her hair, now white due to the release of power, tied up in a bun that let loose tendrils fall, over the white triangle that showed part of her tattoo, she was so sexy that for a moment, he allowed himself the luxury to think more lewd thoughts that were quickly banished as she turned on him again.

'How did you get in?' she asked.

'I asked Sempai, he let me in. Your trick with the mirror also helped.'

'I realised that you may have some of my memories.' Chiyuki told him. 'And so I tapped into that connection between our minds in order to get the message to you.'

Byakuya appeared behind her in a instant, wrapping long arms around her midriff. 'Were you serious when you said that you loved me?' he whispered softly.

'Yes.' She breathed back. 'Though you are arrogant, cold and probably have a long item in your anal region, you are my arrogant, cold husband, no matter how wrong that just sounded.' she added as an afterthought.

'You forgot to mention my good points.' Byakuya replied, holding her closer. 'So, tell me, where is this supposed meeting Sempai is talking about, and when?'

'Soon, Danna Sama. The nine Kings, and the unofficial king, must be present at a site in order for the vote to be complete. I will be there to record the outcome and cast my vote.'

'What will you choose, Chiyuki?'

'My choice will not affect it; in a case where there is a stalemate, there will be a fight to settle things. It is barbaric, but it is our way, and it has served our denizens.'

'However, I noticed one thing, Chiyuki; the Royal Guard is monitoring Nurarihyon. So how can the voting be done in secret?' Byakuya asked, slightly puzzled. 'the royal guard will try to stop it at all costs.'

Chiyuki smiled. 'That's where the monsters in Seireitei come in.'

* * *

The Shinigami of Seireitei had faced a lot of things. They had faced down hollows, a Vasto Lorde or two, rogue Shinigami, Arrancar and Aizen, and various other villains that want to destroy the world, change the world, take over the world or something like it, or something running along those lines.

They haven't seen enough.

So when the _zori_ sandals, various _shihakusho_, some still being worn, and even the sake jars began moving about the great Court of Pure Souls, on their _own_ accord, no less, they freaked out. The Thirteenth Division was attacked by their Captain's very own comforter [no, this is not a joke], the Eighth and Tenth attacked by a swarm of sake bottles, led by a samurai made of dinnerware [retribution for drinking so much sake?]. The second, third and fourth met a flying dagger, a skeleton spectre, and a red bathtub licker. Not in that order.

The night sky was obscured by the shapes and shadows of various creatures of tales and legends, screeching, screaming, laughing as they swooped here and there, just out of reach of the Shinigami and their Zanpakutous, dodging Kidou blasts and binds.

Dogs with flying heads roamed the Seventh Division, forcing Komamura to stay there, fighting off the canine menaces. Eleventh and Twelfth found various objects moving of their own accord, either attacking the Shinigami or running from Kurotsuchi wielding a jar and a syringe. Odd that even the creatures of the night find Kurotsuchi creepy like hell. The first man to cause a Nopperabo to turn on his heels, Kurotsuchi Mayuri.

The ninth Division had it slightly worse, where an obi belt succeeded in suffocating nine Shinigami until Hisagi put it down, and then Hisagi was attacked by a floating blue lamp.

The First Division had it worse; the entire barracks was surrounded in flame, and blue herons, all screeching at those that dare force their way in, keeping the SouTaichou cut off from the outside world.

Through the chaos wrecked onto the unsuspecting and unknowing citizens of Seireitei, Yamamoto SouTaichou could only stare out from his balcony, looking over the screams of panic at the dark night sky, where not even a single star shone. 'They will decide tonight.' He thought. 'And finish by summer. What a short time after one war already.'

* * *

Renji was getting some more ink from the spare cupboard. As he opened the cupboard, his hand met the ink bottle immediately. Thoughtlessly, he closed the cupboard, and had just taken three steps when he remembered that the ink was stored in the _back_ of the cupboard, and that Kuchiki Taichou did not leave the bottle there. So when he opened the cupboard again, a wave of haunted paper supplies sicced him. A first; the office supplies _sicced_ him.

All the divisions got away with some kind of vandalism/trauma/property damage/ injury.

Still, nothing could have compared to the Sixth Division, where only the lieutenant was attacked by his sandals, shihakusho, the lamp, and about every single other item like the above three in the entire barracks. All the Shinigami stared as their lieutenant, buried under a pile of clothing and lamps, fought for his life.

When the other Shinigami complained later about how wacky their _things_ were, Unohana pointed them into Renji's direction. Just one look convinced even Kenpachi, who met his bloodthirsty grandma again, that they where infinitely luckier.

* * *

Byakuya struggled not to snort at the mental images that popped up in his head. The thoughts of Renji's memory aptly titled _the Monkey and the Moon, _was whispering out Renji's every thoughts of _what_ _the_ _fuck_ as he got buried under office supplies was enough to make the stoic Byakuya smile. 'How ridiculously funny, seems like I finally found another use for writing equipment.' He told Chiyuki.

'Good for you.' Chiyuki replied, not facing him but heading for the tree.

As they reached the tree, with its odd leaves of paper, Byakuya noticed the two girls, Kari and Yami, the latter trussed up in silver chains, heading for another tunnel of bookshelves. 'Where are they going?'

'Something. I don't know, don't want to know…' a moan sounded from the passageway. '…and don't wish to know.'

That shut him up, for now.

'I am going to open a gate to Tori Yama.' Chiyuki said, gathering grey shadows in her hands. 'Please move your sword to the right side; it is best to appear non-threatening in this case.'

Byakuya complied, familiar with the sword laws of the Edo period. 'So exactly where is Tori Yama?' he asked casually.

'Tori Yama is the village entirely populated by Youkai. It is somewhere in limbo, where the time there is forever midnight, and it is forever night.' Chiyuki told him. 'About a thousand Youkai live there, though during the important times, like this meeting, or preparation for war, it will contain at least two hundred thousand.

We are headed for the Youkai Court, Danna Sama.'

And with that, the fabric of reality tore, revealing a tear, in which the two stepped through.

* * *

Several people had visited Tori Yama, on both sides of the world, whether the real world or Soul Society, through natural portals accessible in places with enough wild reiatsu to contain it. Normally, in cities, or places with high populations, and high disappearances, some humans end up walking through the portal, and they almost never come out, ending up…somewhere. Let's leave it at that, the truth is too horrible. And too varied.

Those who had survived the trip there have varying opinions, but all agree on one word to describe it: _bizarre_. Scary is also an apt word, but that's pretty general, since they never landed in the red-light districts.

Byakuya realised that when he stepped through…to land some distance from the Stone table.

The white monolith rose high up to the sky, blocking the vision of the moon as Byakuya landed at the foot of it. Just like in that vision, Nurarihyon stood at the top, where the eight Kings [better known as Bosses] surrounded him, and sixteen Knights[Lieutenants, in yakuza speak], followed by twenty-four Knaves[big brothers] and thirty-two lower Knaves [better known as little brothers]. Or, as the Youkai favoured the yakuza speak, _oyabun_, _wakagashira _[first lieutenant], _shateigashira _[second lieutenant], _kyodai_ and _shatei _respectively. Which placed Chiyuki as the _saiko_-_komon_ or, more specifically, the lawyer, unaffiliated, yet affiliated to the entire Court.

The structure by now seems a bit weird, he thinks. Chiyuki makes it sound weirder.

Anyway, as he looked up there, he could see clearly the monolith held a seating of some sort for the different Kings.

The top one was completely flat, with only a _zabuton_. The seat facing north was a stone in the middle of a spring. Directly opposite, facing south, a huge fire burned. To the west was a throne hewn out of the mountain itself, while to the east was a boulder, worn smooth by the winds. Facing northeast was a snowcapped peak in the shape of a throne, while northwest; a huge tree grew out of the monolith. Southwest was a shining boulder, southeast was a simple rock, covered all over with burn marks that look suspiciously like lightning strikes.

The Eight kings themselves, from this distance, stunned all with their grace, beauty, elegance and power. The fluidity of Water, beauty of Snow, freedom of the Wind, barely-there restraint of Lightning, fury of fire, sheen of metal, power of Earth, and the life of Wood, all represented by these eight individuals, even if they were wearing masks.

As he looked up, he felt small, insignificant, and afraid of these powerful individuals. An instinct, long forgotten by civilisation, called once more, the fear of that which lies behind the dark_. No wonder the Spirit King was scared,_ he thought. _Anyone would in the face of them. _

Nurarihyon sat at the top, his dark eyes, shining like onyx, polished to the finest, commanding the presence of the other kings to look only at him, and no other, the only one not wearing a mask. Such presences that even the most disrespectful would fall to their knees.

A mask was blocking his sight. Slightly annoyed, he grabbed it to face one of those full-face fox masks that can be bought at any festival. He turned to Chiyuki, raising an eyebrow.

'Wear it, and then give me your haori.' She told him, materialising another fox mask in her hands. This one was similar to a hollow's, except that the power enmating from it did not feel so sinister, but rather warm. 'Take the kenseikans out. They'll think you're Nii Sama, and they won't say anything.'

'This feels rather odd.' He commented once all had been done. 'Why are we wearing masks?'

'Kitsune, BakeTanuki, Mujina, and Ookami wear this in their demon form.' She told him, donning her mask. 'Sort of like Vaizards.' And she refused to elaborate on that.

As they approached the monolith, Byakuya heard the first sounds of the meeting:

'And I say that we should just go there and whip their asses, and kill!! Yes, massacre now seems like a good idea…'

'Akio, get yourself on meds. Amaya, stop looking like you want to agree. Itachi…'

'What, Nurarihyon?'

'Stop stalking the Captain you spotted at Seireitei. I don't care how much of a tomboy she looks, you are not touching one of them. What's more, have you ever thought whether she actually knows that you're stalking her?'

'Nurarihyon, Itachi can hook up with twenty women at one time. Do you really think that one girl will make a difference?' This one was from the man in brown and green, wearing a smooth, kabuki mask, shaped without a mouth, just eyes and a red slash at the cheekbones. At this distance, Byakuya saw that his hair was brown, almost blonde. Like Shinga, the old BakeTanuki from earlier.

'Better than you, Hiroki you paedophilic, incestuous bastard!' the squirrelly man, Itachi, Byakuya assumed, yelled.

'Enough already,' Chiyuki cut in, walking to stand before them, Byakuya followed. 'I have another business to settle soon. Now that for once in a long time, the Kings are here, let us settle this before we part again.'

'Listen to the lady.' Nurarihyon declared. 'One more second here is a second wasted. I want to see how much the humans have developed.

Now, then, as you pretty well know, the time has come to decide whether we should go to war with Soul Society again. I will now present the two sides of the argument.

First, I have a promise to fulfil. Should we win this war, we all know that the denizens of Rukongai will not recognise us as their rulers, but that can change over time. I have no use for the throne, so I will give it to the descendants of my precious jewel, or descendant, Kuchiki Byakuya.'

Inwardly, Byakuya gasped. What kind of maniac is this? No way did he want the throne, regardless of whatever he thought.

'On the other hand, Ruri is dead, gone. And, despite that we could revive the dead; there are some things we cannot recover once we lose them. Ruri is gone; I acknowledge that.

However, this is not just about my promise to Ruri. The Spirit King sees me as a threat, and so, wants me under his thumb or dead. And when I am dead, we all know that you people will have to take orders from him.'

This was met by cries of outrage, shock and one 'kill the bastard!!' from the huge fire.

'But,' Nurarihyon continued after a while, when the possibility of a huge fight was not so imminent, 'There is the possibility of persuading them to leave me alone…not you.' He shot a dirty look at the fire, who grunted. The man at the west, wearing a fox mask, nine tails of snowy white waving behind it, grunted as well. The woman seated to the north, wearing a fish mask, scoffed. Facing northeast, the girl wearing a completely expressionless mask of white coughed.

'Okay, so maybe that's not going to happen.' Nurarihyon said. 'Damn right.' all the Kings simultaneously replied.

Byakuya raised an eyebrow, rolled his eyes, and almost wanted to smack his forehead. _What synchronisation, but did it have to end up where they declare war on us?_

'Let's leave that reason.' Nurarihyon decided. 'Now, Memoria, tell me why is Kuchiki Byakuya here?'

* * *

_**Night, when words fade and things come alive.**_

_**Please review ~**_


	50. Chapter 49:Thrice ask and Gone

_**The stars are forth, the moon above the tops of the snow-shining mountains--Beautiful! I linger yet with Nature, for the night hath been to me a more familiar face than that of man; and in her starry shade of dim and solitary loveliness I learned the language of another world.**_

* * *

The tension was so thick that a knife wasn't enough; get a laser.

The moment the word 'Kuchiki' was mentioned, every one grabbed a weapon of some sort, materialised a weapon, or readied a projectile, all aiming at Byakuya and Chiyuki.

_I wonder how many of them actually hate my aunt_, Byakuya thought as he removed the mask. The imminent projectile seemed to loom even closer.

'Oh, Kuchiki, you're here.' Nurarihyon said, as if he did not just reveal Byakuya's location. 'When did you come?'

'Are you an idiot?? Forget it, don't reply, I don't want to hear.' The eight performed another miracle of synchronisation once more.

'Er…right. Memoria, what business does he have here, of all places?'Nurarihyon turned businesslike again. 'I believe no Shinigami should be allowed here.'

'Actually, Nurarihyon Sama, he is my…husband.'

There was a gasp, a choking sound, and a laugh, which was quelled when Nurarihyon asked the question: 'I do not see any recognition, merely that the two of you are engaged.'

'What? But we are married, there are the documents…' Byakuya insisted.

'I forget you mortals have a different view of marriage. In the eyes of the Court, a marriage comes when a ceremony is carried out. 'To death do us part' takes a whole new meaning when both parties can live forever.' Nurarihyon told him.

'Good, at least you're here. Then we can clear up the misunderstanding.' The woman with the expressionless mask piped up. 'Nurarihyon, what were the exact words you told her?'

'That I will fulfil your heart's desire, regardless of any barriers in its way, till my dying day.' Nurarihyon replied dully. 'What does this have to do with the meeting? We're here to decide on war, not my dealings.'

'True. I vote for war.' The huge fire boomed.

'I second the vote.' The fox mask agreed.

'I vote for war.' The person facing southwest, wearing an iron mask, stated.

'I vote war.' The Nue, so ugly that it didn't need a mask, said.

'However, Nurarihyon Sama, you wanted to fulfil Ruri's wish.' The expressionless woman said. 'You wanted to fulfil her heart's desire. Now that she is dead, it passes to her nephew, and now he should have a different desire. Am I not right?'

'You have a point there, Setsuka.' The fish-mask woman said. 'Tell me, Kuchiki Byakuya, what is your wish? For the world at your feet? For vengeance?'

'I have not decided.' Squirrel mask said. 'I will form a conclusion upon hearing his answer.'

'I do not care, but my family will get hurt in war.' The kabuki mask said.

'Well, then. Kuchiki, tell us,' Nurarihyon said, dropping his voice to a whisper. 'I will give you that which you desire.'

'Is it?' Byakuya asked, the slight curve of a smile appearing.

'I swear upon the throne of the Youkai.' Nurarihyon agreed.

It was a tempting thought; all of soul Society at his feet. High up on the throne of royalty, so much power, everything that he could wish for fulfilled.

But he was a Kuchiki noble. It was in his blood. And, he couldn't stand more loneliness anyway. There still existed the scary possibility of what happened in those stories; she will run away from him. A very deep part of him refused to acknowledge that.

'Very well; I wish for my marriage to my wife.' He held up Chiyuki's hand. 'To be recognised by all.'

* * *

There was a silence, to be broken by a dry cough, a sniff, and the silence broke with everyone choking.

'I give you whatever you desire, and you choose love.' The King of the Night, General of the Dark, lord of the Youkai, spoke dumbly. 'Don't you want to reconsider?'

'No.' the Kuchiki scion replied, pulling Chiyuki close to him. 'I refuse to even consider another option.' _Temptation, hurry up and scram…_

'Seriously? I thought someone like you has his pride, right? You want to protect that pride, so why don't you take any other possibilities?' Nurarihyon was looking at him with interest.

'Pride comes in different forms; my pride is as a Captain of the Gotei Juusantai. However, I will be content if you were to give recognition that she is mine.' Byakuya replied stony-faced.

Nurarihyon stared at him for a long moment, then, slowly smiling, broke out a single statement:

'What is as foolish as a man in love?'

'I vote for no war.' All the other Kings said immediately.

Now, they all stared at Nurarihyon, who was still smiling. 'You have guts, just like Ruri. Truly the blood of the Kuchiki family. However, don't you think that you should face someone else first?'

'What?' Byakuya was surprised.

'Marriage proposals should be carried to the family head.' A voice growled behind him. Byakuya barely drew Senbonzakura out of its sheath when a blade sang, clashing with it.

Kazumi Chiaki stood there, wielding a foot-long blade, a black pattern of roses scratched on the blade, watching his every move. 'Kuchiki Byakuya, as per the rules of our kind, you must fight for your bride.'

'Sempai…'

'It does not have to be a win; you just have to prove that you are strong enough to have your love. Such is our way, Byakuya.' The Sixth captain noticed that Chiaki was no longer joking.

Byakuya looked at his wife, whose eyes shone silver behind it, a fierce light that showed him that no, she wasn't human, wasn't normal.

But he loved her anyway. And if he refused, she'll never be truly his.

'Very well, Sempai.'

* * *

'Okay, let's put it more interestingly. My decision depends on how you entertain me. Kuchiki, I'm refereeing.' Nurarihyon announced as Chiyuki rushed to the sidelines. 'Now, begin!!'

Byakuya stepped out of the way before Chiaki's sword fell. Chiaki had a fox mask on, this one with three black strokes on either side of the face, his eyes glowing an eerie yellow behind it. Nine tails of black waved behind him, and black Shikigei markings appeared on his hands, the Shikigei [death tattoos; they're the tattoos on Chiyuki's back. Similar to Renji's tattoos, all Youkai have some form of it. Colours vary] signifying this as a Youkai battle.

In truth, Byakuya had been trained by this very person. And he still hadn't found a way past the Bankai yet.

'Amaze, Kurohime.' Chiaki announced, waving the sword in Byakuya's direction. Byakuya immediately skipped to the side, blocking Chiaki's attack.

'Sempai, you told me before, Kurohime is a poison and sound type Zanpakutou.' Byakuya panted, leaning all his weight against Sen. 'When you release it, you wave it towards the enemy's direction so that the enemy will breathe the poison, and it messes their senses up, so that they do not notice you. A sound wave is also sent through the blade, jarring the balance and leading to disorientation.'

They jumped back. '_Hadou no gou juu yon, Haien_!'Chiaki sent a blast of purple spiritual energy at Byakuya, who immediately called: '_Hadou no roku juu san, Souren Soukatsui_.' a larger version of a Soukatsui incinerated the two blasts immediately.

'Multiple casting of spells; your specialty.' Byakuya told Chiaki. 'I would not forget such a skill, Sempai.'

'Byakko, that wasn't the only spell.' Chiaki said, holding his sword up. '_Bakudo no san juu, Shitotsu Sansen. Bakudo no nana juu gou, Gochutekkan. Hadou no roku juu san, Raikouhou._' The hands waved accordingly.

As Byakuya dodged the double spells, to much difficulty, Chiaki held his hands out, much like a conductor, chanting: 'Plumed goddesses, vivid sunset, embrace the all-consuming indulgence. Shed acid tears into the roar of the southern wind. Hadou # 74, Rain of the Mourning Phoenix.'

A cloud of fireballs rained down upon Byakuya. Who got caught in it. Just when the smoke billowed about, a sakura petal floated out.

'Scatter, Senbonzakura.' Byakuya stated, waving the petals towards Chiaki. The petals all shot towards him fast.

'_Bakudo no san juu kyuu, Enkosen_.' Chiaki cast a reiatsu shield at the last second, causing the petals to collide harmlessly with it. Byakuya noticed a movement, heading behind him.

Immediately, Byakuya cast a shield of his own, protecting himself when Chiaki swung his sword behind. 'Sempai, you're good.'

'Thank you. _Tsuzuri_ _Raiden.'_

A bolt of lightning coursed through the sword, causing Byakuya to jump back. The sakura petals surrounded their master, protecting him.

'Nice, shall we get on to the heavy business now, Byakuya?' Chiaki playfully called.

Byakuya's eyes widened in shock at Chiaki's obvious happiness and not taking this seriously. 'Sempai, I thought you couldn't use Bankai?'

'I broke the seal long ago. Now then,' Chiaki rubbed his hands in glee. 'Let us bring a Captain-level battle.'

* * *

In Seireitei, the chaos wasn't improving.

Yamamoto had just managed to throw out several floating lamps from his office. 'Any luck with the fire?' he yelled.

'No, sir, we're still trapped in here' the lieutenant replied.

'Damn stupid little…' Yamamoto swore angrily, now fighting off his belt, which decided to tighten itself.

In the Thirteenth Division, Ukitake led a small squad to fend off his comforter. Rukia tried to restrain her Chappy bunny which just chose to move.

Kyoraku and Matsumoto fled to the Fourth, where they shocked everyone by refusing sake for the first time in known history. The Division least unscathed was the Fourth, due to Nurarihyon's respect for the Captain, and the Twelfth, where all the Youkai were scared of Kurotsuchi Mayuri to come near. Renji became a magnet for what seemed to be all of Seireitei's office supplies. He couldn't step out of his room for fear of paper.

In the Second Division, Soi Fon chased after a dagger that just got up and decided to make sashimi of all the Shinigami within the barracks. The dagger flew about, slicing pieces of cloth off Soi Fon's uniform, with Soi Fon attempting to catch the thing, to no avail, just as it went for the face, it was stomped down by Yoruichi, barely millimetres from landing on Soi Fon.

'Yoruichi Sama!!' Soi Fon said as she recovered from the adrenaline rush. I don't care how much training one receives, they're bound to panic when someone almost landed on them. 'What is going on?'

'Some of those creepy things you saw last night decided to stall us here while their leaders decide whether to go for war. Kisuke's gone to pick Ichigo up.' Yoruichi said. She stiffened suddenly, her eyes narrowing. 'Look out!!' she pushed Soi Fon out of the way.

Not a moment too soon, a black cat, this one with a white streak running the entire length of its body, landed where Soi Fon was a second ago. 'I'm sorry to wreck what must have been a peaceful night, but you must stay here.' Yoichi purred. 'Yoruichi, do not even try to break out.'

'Yoruichi Sama, the cat is…' Soi Fon was shocked to see a talking cat, besides Yoruichi.

'Its fine, Soi Fon. Nice to see you, Yoichi,' Yoruichi grinned at the cat's eyes. 'Again.'

* * *

Things weren't better in the Seventh Division, where its members fought down the scariest dogs they have ever seen. And Komamura doesn't count.

The Captain himself was fending off attacks from a dog's flying head, dodging the jumping body in time. 'Youkai.' He grunted.

'Traitor of the Hyakki.' The dog growled, howling as they attacked again. 'Weak, yet your accursed blood still lives on.'

'For the last time, that was my ancestor.' Komamura replied. 'Why am I being held responsible for a murder I did not commit?'

'A disgrace to the Inugami should be put down. That includes you, regardless of whose protection you live under.' The dog replied, jumping at his throat again.

* * *

In Karakura Town, Ichigo was trekking up to the nearby Shinto shrine, behind Urahara Kisuke, who was dressed in his old Shinigami uniform. Behind Ichigo trailed Shinji, Love and Rose, three of the Vaizards.

'Okay, let me get this straight; your _natto_ attacked you at about the same time all the _zori_ sandals of Seireitei decided to go walking about the city. At the same time, sake jugs attacked the Eighth and Tenth Division, while the clothing of Seireitei decided to attack and strangle their wearers.' Ichigo said, feeling a bit idiotic.

Until Urahara pulled a sticky piece of _natto_ that would have looked delicious without the extra arms and legs sprouting out of it, and threw it at Ichigo, who got squishy, sticky goodness stuck to his arm, refusing to let go until it was torn off with some difficulty.

'What the hell?' Ichigo shouted as he threw the natto away from him. 'That was alive. The _natto_ was alive and moving!'

'Now you know how I feel.' Urahara said. 'I had that in my mouth. Not the part I threw, relax.'

'I sympathise, Urahara San. I remember the last time I had to try Inoue Chan's cooking, that rice was moving, I swear…' Shinji muttered.

'Kurosaki San, we will be going to another place by the natural gates around here.' Urahara said as they stopped before a roadside Inari shrine.

'To Soul Society?'

'No, to another, probably more interesting place.' Urahara replied, flashing the evil Cheshire grin that said 'I'm planning something evil…'

'Where?' ichi9go walked closer to the shrine and bent over to look at it.

'Here.' Urahara said, kicking Ichigo towards the shrine. The strawberry wobbled, and fell over…and disappeared.

'Who's next?' Urahara asked the three Vaizard, who were looking nervously, siding away as fast as possible.

* * *

Swords clashed, reiatsu blew, exploded, clashed, as the two fought. Kurohime grated, sending Senbonzakura screeching for blood. The blades sang as two warriors fought over the Stone table in a dimension that remained forever night. In the real world, the statues of deities wept tears of blood.

Under the never-moving moon, Kuchiki Byakuya fought for love.

Kazumi Chiaki fought to beat the crap out of the junior that dared to put the moves on his sister, regardless of whatever feelings existed between them.

Finally, the clashing of swords ceased. Both stood on the deserted battlefield, under the gaze of the Kings, panting.

'I declare you worthy to ask for her hand.' Chiaki forced out between breaths. 'If you try anything funny, I will come after you with all the forces of the Kazumi House. You will not be safe on either side of the worlds.'

'I accept that threat.' Byakuya replied, equally breathless. 'And thank you.'

'No problem.' Chiaki froze suddenly, sniffing the air. 'Do you hear something?'

'AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!' Ichigo screamed as hen collided with the ground. 'Where am I?'

He caught sight of the two. Chiaki had already torn off his mask, revealing features that were really similar to Byakuya's, except that he did not wear curlers, which meant that he was rather more attractive.

'Glad to see that you finally took those curlers out, Byakuya.' Ichigo told Chiaki. 'So, where is this place?'

'Who are you, for starters?' Chiaki replied politely. 'He is Byakuya, I am Kazumi Chiaki.' He pointed out the differences.

'Eh? Oh...sorry, you really look like Byakuya.'

'So I have been told ever since he stepped into the Academy. Either way, he is wearing those unsightly curlers. Even if they're called kenseikans, I will call them curlers regardless of what you insist I adapt, Byakko.' Chiaki added at Byakuya's pulsing vein.

'I like this Byakuya. Is there any way you can switch places?' Ichigo asked the Kuchiki scion.

'Kurosaki Ichigo, please stop with the insults. There is no way you would want that Lolita complex in my place.' Byakuya said through gritted teeth. 'Also, do not forget that you are on enemy territory.'

'Huh?' no sooner that the words left his mouth that a blade sang, landing just millimetres away from Ichigo's throat.

Everyone stared at the holder of the blade, Nurarihyon. 'Why are you here? All Shinigami were to be in Seireitei now.' the Night King demanded angrily.

Ichigo jumped back. 'I got in from the human world. Four Captain Level Shinigami are on their way here. There is no way you can defeat them…'

'How immature, boy. You are talking to he who once brought even the Royal Guard to its knees.' A man wearing a kabuki mask whispered.

Ichigo began to sweat; _holy shit, this man defeated the Royal freaking Guard?_ Having seen them in action, Ichigo knew that Division's power. _How powerful is this bastard?_

'Kurosaki, there you…'Shinji stopped as Ichigo came into his view. The four stood there, blinking at the people there.

'Thrice I ask and gone. I have considered; there is to be no war, I have lost all reason to fight. All Shinigami will leave now, out of here, before I reconsider.'

'What?' all the Shinigami and Vaizards asked.

'Thrice I ask and gone. Leave, this is a place for Youkai. I will not grant your safety if you do not comply.' Nurarihyon repeated. Turning to the monolith, he commanded: 'get ready to fire.'

Instantly, eight weapons got ready to kill the Shinigami. They gulped nervously.

'Thrice I ask and gone.' The night King's eyes glittered black, like stars in Tori Yama's ever-night sky. 'Get out.'

* * *

_**All the Kidou spells came from DeathOnly Kidou chart.**_

_**Cliffhanger!! Tune in next time!!**_

* * *

_**O radiant Dark! O darkly fostered ray! Thou hast a joy too deep for shallow Day.**_


	51. Chapter 50:The Rising Sun

Let me celebrate my 50th chapter!!!

_**A decision made at night may be changed in the morning.**_

* * *

'Sorry, but our King doesn't really like it when Seireitei sends spies over.' Chiyuki apologised as she escorted the Shinigami out. 'After a spy landed in his bath, he ordered that all future spies captured would be sent to the dungeons of the two cruellest Kings.'

As the group ran, an explosion sounded not far off.

'Hurry, if you're caught by those, you'll never be recovered.' Chiyuki said. They all broke into a run.

'I thought the King told us to get out.' Byakuya said as he shunpo'ed on, the others following behind. 'Why are there hounds chasing us?' he asked as he looked back, to be confronted with the sight of hunting hounds behind them.

'Nurarihyon is not responsible for this. It's the more cruel Kings, who will see all of you on the auction block and not turn a hair. Once you're caught, you're their property, and not even the Spirit King himself can save you.' Chiyuki explained. 'He told us to leave, but if we disappear on the way out, he won't be blamed. Furthermore, if you attack the hounds, it will be akin to hurting one of the Courts, giving the other Kings incentive to attack.'

'Will they attack? Nurarihyon should be the type to keep his promises, right?' Ichigo asked.

'Nurarihyon is not responsible for what the other Kings do.' Chiyuki answered honestly. 'Although with another event looming closer than ever, they won't bother until after summer, since they have to prepare to fight each other anyway.'

'Oh, I see, so we just have to get out of this place, right?' Ichigo asked.

'Correct, however…I CAN'T USE SHUNPO!! ARE YOU GOING TO LEAVE ME BEHIND!!!?' Chiyuki, directly at the back of the group, screamed as the others all ran on.

Byakuya appeared behind her. Scooping her up in bridal-style, he raced on. 'Better now?' he asked, looking down at her.

'Slightly. I can't keep up to shunpo, but I'll be fine.' Chiyuki answered. 'Where is Nii Sama?'

'Sempai is at the…place, I think.' Byakuya answered her.

'I see.' Incredulously, she asked: 'do you people know where you're going?'

They all looked at her. 'No, tell us.'

-.-'Er…left, here.'

They continued her directions, until they reached a snowy part of the forest. White snow fell from the heavens, cold winds blew, and…

In the distance, a huge Japanese mansion, formed completely of ice, that shone bluish-white in the moonlight, rose. Majestic in its presence, all stopped to admire it.

Byakuya noticed that the hounds have gone. 'Where are we now?'

'This is…the forest of Winter.' Chiyuki gasped. 'That palace, is it floating?'

True enough, the palace of ice was floating, on apparently nothing at all. 'How did they…?'

'This is the forest of Winter, the White Peak, abode of Shirahime.' Chiyuki said, talking faster. 'If we're this close…'

'The entrance should be there.' A cold, piping voice answered. They turned to see the woman with an expressionless mask, standing not far from the group. This close up, they could see her short stature and white robes, rising up smoothly, blending almost perfectly with the snow, so white it was. Her hair was equally white, and reached to her hips. As she took off her mask, it revealed a childlike face would have been rather cute if not for her timelessly grey, cold eyes, and she radiated an icy power that could almost top Hitsugaya. 'This is my domain; even the most idiotic of Kings do not cross Setsuka of the Snow.'

The Vaizard and Urahara immediately drew their swords and attacked. A wall of snow formed from the falling snowflakes, protecting the girl by deflecting their attacks harmlessly. Love's fire, Rose's Shikai, Shinji's Kidou spell and Benihime's attack all failed to even penetrate the wall.

'Is this all the Captains can do nowadays? No wonder you seem to run through them like paper cups.' Setsuka stated as the wall collapsed. 'Freeze, and stay forever within my frozen garden.'

Ice built up around Shinji's leg, trapping him there. Despite hacking away at it, the ice held fast.

'Think before you underestimate any of the Youkai Kings.' Setsuka hissed.

Moving so fast that she was a blur, Rose did not notice her hand lingering about his legs until she was touching him. With a single flick of her wrist, she froze the blood in his feet, the ice breaking through his skin, sending him into agony as he fell onto his good leg. With another movement, Rose's legs were frozen to his waist, completely covered in ice.

'Two down.' Setsuka intoned, headed for Love, not noticing Urahara appearing behind her…

Urahara scored her back with Benihime, ripping her robes and sending her tumbling. Simultaneously, Love sent a gout of fire from his Zanpakutou, setting her ablaze.

'That'll take care of her.' Urahara said over the fire. 'Kazumi San, please show the way.'

Chiyuki was there, witnessing with large eyes as Setsuka burned. 'She's still up…'

'What?' Urahara was caught off guard when the flames froze to ice, and he was caught up in the Queen of Snow's hand.

'You set me on fire.' She hissed, as the blisters on her face began to seal up, to Urahara's horror. 'I will make your blood so cold; you will really become cold-blooded.'

It would have been slightly funny if Urahara's body did not spontaneously become covered in spikes of ice, piercing through the skin from within. Urahara screamed, as she continued to freeze his blood. Red drops stained the snow a bright, unreal red.

Setsuka dropped him, still screaming, and headed for Love, her eyes shining a cold white, face a mask of fury. Her back, which was marred by a slash, was healing, both sides of the injury now coming back together.

The Vaizard continued to aim fire at her, which she easily dodged, and grabbed his face. 'Suffer as I did.' She hissed as spikes of ice, still tinged with blood, tore through his jugular. Love fell, staining the snow blood red as he writhed.

'Urahara Kisuke, I would appreciate it if you come out right now.' Setsuka said to nobody in particular.

'Huh?' Ichigo looked about, then at the Urahara on the floor, which soon faded, replaced by a few sheets of paper and a green coat.

There was a rustle of pine needles and dry twigs, and soon the proprietor of the Urahara Shop stepped out into the open clearing, smiling, despite the fact that his arms were bleeding.

'Oh, as expected of a King, you defeated them quite easily.' Urahara noted. 'Of course, I apologise for attacking you, it is bad manners after all.'

'Quite correct.' Setsuka replied. 'Horrible manners to attack someone on their territory.'

'Urahara San, are you alright?' Ichigo asked, pulling out Zangetsu from his back.

'I'm alright, don't worry. Setsuka Sama, please let us pass.' Urahara asked, bowing deeply.

'For me to do something there must always be a price.' Setsuka replied. 'I will let you and your fallen companions pass, but you must answer two questions wholly and truthfully. Should you renegade on it, and I warn you, I will know, I will freeze every single one of you and send you as a gift to the cruellest King, do I make myself clear?'

'Yes, your highness.' Urahara replied seriously. Motioning to the fallen Vaizard first, he asked: 'Could I heal them first? They look pretty bad.'

'Memoria, you can heal them. Kuchiki Byakuya, watch over her; I don't doubt that some agents will be coming over the borders, so protect her. You, the boy with the orange hair, stand beside Urahara. You will corroborate anything he says, understand?' Setsuka ordered.

'Yes, ma'am.' Ichigo replied. _What did your last slave die of, by the way?_

'Now, answer the questions. First…'

Pausing for dramatic effect, she asked: 'What is the name of the Seireitei's strongest Zanpakutou, and the wielder, complete with position?'

The two Shinigami stared at her; did she know not of such elementary facts? 'Hyorinmaru, wielded by Captain of the Tenth Division, Hitsugaya Toushirou.'

'Hyori…' she whispered.

'Huh?'

'Never mind, next question. Is there a Zanpakutou in Seireitei with the name Sode no Shirayuki?'

Ichigo's eyebrows rose at that one. 'Yes.'

'Thank you. Memoria, are you done?' Setsuka called.

* * *

In Seireitei, the Shinigami was still under attack by their sandals, their clothing and the strangest creatures they have ever seen.

Yamamoto was trapped inside the First barracks still, surrounded on all sides by herons belching blue flames. Even when he wielded Ryuujin Jakka, they brought in a Wanyudo, which quite happily scorched through the hellfire, and gave Yamamoto's whiskers quite a singe.

In the Second Division, the black cat, Yoichi, stared up in shock as his younger sister addressed him by name. 'How did you remember me? Ojou Sama erased your memory, you…'

'I got Kisuke to check my head, and now it's all better.' Yoruichi glared at the cat. 'I hope you're ready to have your butt kicked six ways to Sunday, Shihouin Yoichi.'

'Shihouin? Then, this cat…' Soi Fon couldn't find the words to continue.

'Is my brother, who conveniently disappeared a hundred and fifty years ago, and we all mourned him, except it turned out he made a deal with a fox to live on.' Yoruichi finished. 'Yoichi, why are you here?'

'I am carrying out my orders not to allow any from the Second Division to escape, Yoruichi. I will not harm those who stay in the barracks, but neither you nor Soi Fon can leave. Those were our orders.'

'Yoichi, when have you turned to accepting others' commands? You were the most free-spirited of us, why are you giving up your freedom?' Yoruichi reproached.

'I died, and then came back, but I cannot walk freely among the Shinigami again, since we serve different Kings. That is it.'

'What about the contract you signed? Can't you get it back? Anii-ue, please come back.' Yoruichi asked, a pleading tone evident in her voice.

Before he could answer, a roar shook through the Court of Pure Souls.

* * *

As Komamura finished off the last of the dogs, he noticed the roar.

All movement within the Seireitei ceased before the roar of this beast. As the Shinigami looked up, a commanding, yet odd sight met their eyes, under cover of the coming dawn…

A creature, with the body of a lion, but with the head of a man, saves for six horns protruding from its head, stood over the tallest tower of Seireitei. On both its flanks, three eyes blinked, looking down on the ravaged Court. It jumped down from its perch, landing directly on the roof of the First barracks. Roaring again, its voice boomed loudly over the heads of Shinigami and Youkai alike:

'The Lords have declared that there to be no war. Cease all harassment and return.'

Soon, the grounds were littered with _zori_ sandals, shihakusho, sake jars and other items alike. All the strange creatures vanished into the fading night. Shinigami stood stunned, unable to react at this sudden turn of events.

Turning to Yamamoto, the Hakutaku bowed its head and said: 'Nurarihyon Sama sends his felicitations to Yamamoto SouTaichou that war between our two sides are to be avoided. He also extends a hand to Yamamoto SouTaichou and promises that any damages will be paid by us, in apology for the trouble we have caused the Gotei Juusantai.'

'I extend my thanks to Nura Kazuya, or Nurarihyon, and hope that he has placed Ruri behind him.' Yamamoto replied, still stunned. 'Please carry my message back to your master.'

'In addition,' the Hakutaku continued, 'Nurarihyon Sama extends to Yamamoto SouTaichou the Dark Feather, naming Yamamoto Shigekuni Genryuusai as Esquire and friend to us. This favour guarantees you the protection of the Youkai, and one favour that Nurarihyon bequeaths to you, to be called upon in time of need. He also extends to the Gotei Juusantai an invitation to the Twelfth Intellectus this summer, and hopes to see all Captains there to participate.'

A feather, coloured the black of night, floated down from the heavens, landing on Yamamoto's staff.

'Furthermore, he adds quite nastily that six Shinigami seemed to have wandered into Tori Yama and that he is not responsible for anything that happens to them. He also hopes that Yamamoto SouTaichou will carry a message to the Spirit King, and thanks Yamamoto SouTaichou for the trouble.'

The Hakutaku opened his mouth, and after a few seconds, Nurarihyon's voice petered out of it:

'You attack us, we will crush you. Go away, leave us alone.'

'That will be all, Yamamoto SouTaichou.' The Hakutaku said, bowing. 'May the Night compel you to walk on.'

Then it disappeared, fading into mist.

'That was rather original.' Yamamoto said as he faced the dawn, never happier to see the rising sun.

* * *

'Oww, my leg…' Rose moaned as the group trudged out of the portal. It was quite a change to be in a snowy forest one second, then a spring forest another second.

'At least you didn't get it in the face.' Love moaned, wincing from the cuts on his lower jaw.

'True…' Shinji moaned as the warmth attacked his frozen lower body.

Other than this, Urahara, Ichigo, Byakuya and Chiyuki escaped relatively unscathed, and were now helping the three hobble up. 'Your fault for attacking without warning, what's a girl got to do?' Chiyuki chided them.

'Anyway, the attack on Seireitei should be over already.' Urahara said, now his usual smiling self once his scars had been healed. 'Let us go back already.'

'I agree.' Byakuya said, scooping Chiyuki back to his arms. 'I must get my wife back.'

To the catcalls and wolf whistles of the five immature men, they shunpo'ed back, in the direction of Seireitei…

* * *

_**Apologies that this chappie is shorter than those before it, will make up for it soon… **_

_**The watch-dog's voice that bayed the whispering wind, and the loud laugh that spoke the vacant mind: There all in sweet confusion sought the shade, and filled each pause the nightingale had made.**_


	52. Chapter 51: He's S, She's M, Where's SM?

_**Night's black Mantle covers all alike. **_

_**I will try to reach over 3,000 words this time. **_

* * *

Yoruichi stared at where her beloved older brother was barely ten minutes ago. When a roar resounded through Seireitei, he had been slightly shocked, but, as the command went about, he panicked. Yoruichi felt that panic too; it felt like that time, a hundred and fifty years ago, where her brother had set out on a mission that would cost his life…

Before he left, he said a message that Yoruichi will remember forever:

'I will always watch over you in the shadows of night, Yoru.'

Yoru was the first character of 'Yoruichi', her name. Yoichi could not come back to the Shihouin House, but he would always be watching her, even from the shadows. That thought brought a small flame of hope in her chest.

_Wait for me, Anii-ue._ She thought, watching Soi Fon order the Second Division back to work.

* * *

When she landed in the Fourth Division, checking on her 'darling little sister' as she called Rukia, she had cooed over the midget for so long that Unohana threw her out before Rukia turned blue. After that episode, Chiyuki stayed outside the wards, watching over Ichigo 'in case he tried to put the moves on my little sister' that a frustrated Byakuya had to place her over his shoulder and carry her back to the Kuchiki manor.

None of the Shinigami had been injured, much anyway, except for a few traumas and fears borne from being dogged by sake jars/office supplies/lamps/other things. Oh, and let's not forget the traumas suffered by a thoroughly confused and slightly –correction, very- fearful but otherwise unaffected Kurosaki [including inner Hollow Shirosaki Hichigo, who couldn't believe that that prick could be so powerful] when Chiyuki got too close to his body, and Byakuya's Death Glare Version 5.0 [500x normal death glare] hit him.

When they got back, the servants of the Kuchiki manor were a bit suspicious when the Lord Kuchiki asked for a length of hemp rope, with a scary look in his eyes too, and ordering that he should not be disturbed at all costs, except in the event of a fire. However, after hearing a few thumps and moans behind the screens leading to the Lord's chambers, they decided not to ask, especially Senzo, who was just glad that the Lord had recovered finally.

* * *

'If I have to tie you up in order for you not to steal away, I will do it.' Byakuya murmured into Chiyuki's ear as he held her bound form close to him.

After going without sleep for the whole night, and the extra three hours that he had to spend reporting to the SouTaichou, Byakuya had been duly granted the rest of the day off, which he now proceeded to spend asleep, catching up on the lack of sleep last night. Needing a specific vixen in his bed, except that said vixen has a tendency to sneak out, he had tied her up and was now holding her sandwiched between him and the futon.

'If you just wanted a warm body in your bed, I would have gladly done so.' Chiyuki hissed at him, now burying his face in her collarbone. 'But did I have to remove my clothing as well??'

'Why yes, I found it necessary to take your clothing and hide it, seeing that my dear wife has a tendency to get out the moment I fall asleep.' Byakuya replied. 'Remember that it is your fault that I am this tired now.'

'I'm sorry.' Chiyuki whispered back. 'I got a bit jealous.'

'It is forgiven.' Byakuya murmured back, his warm breath fanning on her sensitive skin. 'but now, you have to stay with me in here, like this…' his hand dipped lower, right between her legs, the intrusion serving to remind her that she had not a stitch on, '…for the rest of the day and night…'

As they drifted to sleep, Byakuya had the vague notion of a Valkyrie, used to standing over the battlefields, now in his bed…smiling down on him…

* * *

When Rukia got back to the Kuchiki manor, Ichigo right behind her, Senzo greeted the two of them.

'Senzo San, do you know where is Nii Sama?' Rukia asked, wondering why the atmosphere of the house seemed a bit lighter than usual.

'Byakuya Sama said that he was rather exhausted from last night and had retired to his chambers, Rukia Sama.' Senzo stoically replied.

'What about Nee Sama?'

'Chiyuki Sama…is with Byakuya Sama.' Senzo again replied, bowing.

'Oh, so they're…' Ichigo began to talk.

'Chiyuki Sama also bade me to give Kurosaki Sama this note should Kurosaki Sama step into this mansion.' Senzo finished, producing a note in his hand. Ichigo took the paper and scanned the contents:

_Ichigo Kun:_

_Shut up and do not say anything smart, okay? Also, don't out the moves on my darling little sister._

_I sure do not want you to suddenly disappear…=)_

_This paper will self destruct in one reading._

That one little paper terrified Ichigo more than Hollows have managed it. When asked about its contents, the paper eerily began to smoke, and was soon reduced to ashes as white as snow in the strawberry's hands.

Eerie indeed, Senzo thought.

* * *

In the chambers of the Lord Kuchiki, Chiyuki found herself pinned under the sleeping, nude form of the so-called most sought after man in Soul Society, in his bed. That knowledge didn't improve the fact that she was equally naked, and that sleeping beside this oh-so-sexy piece of male anatomy was causing spring fever to set in rather early, arousing her even when he was doing nothing at all.

Having to spend three hours like this was really bad. She was feeling a bit hyper and wondering whether she could sneak out of the rope and leave him alone.

However, after slipping out of the rope successfully, thanks to a little saying that to escape, you just have to put your mind to it; it's just a matter of time; she was faced with another, more glaringly obvious problem: how to get out from underneath him without waking the poor problem sleeper up. Byakuya didn't deserve having his sleep interrupted because he tied her up. It was partly her fault he was suffering from a lack of sleep in the first place.

Plus, if Abarai's words were anything to go by, Byakuya looked like he'd been through hell every time he woke up. That was something she didn't want to see.

Then, there was the little matter of the fact that a certain part of the male anatomy was thrusting itself quite insistently up against her womanhood, causing her thoughts to fray with pleasure.

When had her breaths started to quicken, and her face started to feel hot, she wondered, still manoeuvring with what little space she had to struggle out from someone she knew to be a very light sleeper.

After about half an hour, during which she had to work some Kitsune magic to get her out, she lay panting beside the futon, all nine tails waving languidly behind her, with their new addition: ears of white, sticking out from behind her fringe.

'Why am I getting so excited?' she muttered, pulling herself up into a sitting position. All too soon, Byakuya rolled unconsciously, one arm draping across her waist.

She gave up; temptation was too hard to resist anyway.

* * *

In another part of the Kuchiki manor, Ichigo had just tried 'putting the moves'…

…until he was interrupted by a whistle. Looking out of the room, the strawberry immediately spied a glasses wearing Byakuya, with his black hair tied loosely but somewhat elegantly behind his head, seated on the branch of a rather bare sakura tree, looking down on the two making out.

'Ah, young love…' Chiaki sighed, looking at them with kind brown eyes. 'I almost remember my own experiences…'

'Chiaki San, how did you get in?' Ichigo asked.

'Ichigo, do you know Kazumi Sensei?' Rukia asked him.

'Yeah, we met in that freaky dimension with all the Youkai…wait, you know this guy?' Ichigo did a double take.

'Every Shinigami knows the 28th Head of the Kazumi House, another of the Great Four Noble Houses. Kazumi Sensei is also the top of the Kidou department in the Shinigami, and teaches those students good at Kidou.' Rukia explained.

'So this guy has about the same status as Byakuya, right?' Ichigo asked.

'With infinitely more popularity, experience and mystery, but yes, that's about it.' Chiaki answered him. 'Funny, I was feeling a bit peckish and wanted to ask Byakko to train with me, but looks like he's busy to notice his former teacher. Furthermore, since Zaraki recommended you for training…'Chiaki eyed the strawberry appraisingly, with the evil Cheshire grin on his face, 'you'll fight with me, okay?' Chiaki said happily.

'If you refuse, I'll send this photo of you two kissing to the Shinigami Monthly.' He added, holding up a Polaroid before Ichigo could refuse.

* * *

So, this explained why Ichigo was in the general training grounds, fighting the head of the Kidou department.

Ichigo was, frankly put, rather amazed as his opponent swiftly made him eat dirt for the fifth time. 'How did a teacher get so strong?' he asked, dusting himself off.

Just then, the Eleventh Division came into the grounds. Zaraki broke into a grin upon seeing his favourite Vaizard. 'Oi, Ichigo, finally ready to fight?' he called.

'What? No!! I'm fighting someone else!!' Ichigo shouted back, using Zangetsu to block the oncoming attack.

'Zaraki, stay out of my fight!' Chiaki yelled at the psycho. '_Bakudo no san juu, Shitotsu Sansen_!'

Three spikes of reiatsu, joined with glowing yellow threads, pinned Zaraki to the wall. Another two did short work of Ikkaku and Yumichika.

'Oh, sorry, Kazumi. Don't worry; I don't want to see the Black Princess's nasty side.' Zaraki called from the wall.

'Huh?' this was a first; Zaraki normally didn't respect any Shinigami other than the Captains. 'Oi, Kenpachi, what was the last position this guy held?' he called to the now stuck Kenpachi.

'This guy was once a Captain, Kurosaki. Don't die; I landed in the Fourth for three weeks after fighting him.' Zaraki called.

'Captain? Then why is he teaching Kidou?' Ichigo yelled as he dodged another attack from Chiaki, this one nearly cutting a whole appendage off. Funny, it was as if he was losing his consciousness whenever the Shikai was released…

What was that, someone whistling? And since when did the grounds smell like…roses?

'Amaze, Kurohime.' Chiaki released his Zanpakutou, waving it in Ichigo's direction. The strawberry caught on.

'That Zanpakutou is scrambling my senses!!' he exclaimed.

'Good kid.' Chiaki murmured, attacking again.

'Are you sure it's alright to leave Kurosaki Ichigo in the hands of Kazumi Chiaki, SouTaichou?' Sasakibe asked in the First Division barracks.

'Sasakibe, what better choice as a trainer than he who trained Captain Kuchiki and Hitsugaya?' Yamamoto asked over his cup of tea.

'It's not that, it's the fact that Chiaki might kill him.'

'Well…Kurosaki didn't survive Aizen for nothing, he can _probably_ survive him. Though, alert the Fourth to prepare the 'Kazumi Special' antidote just in case.' _A lot of it_.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Kuchiki manor, Byakuya was pretending to be asleep, while he was preventing his wife from getting out of the room, and in default his bed, and, in some devious part of his mind, enjoying the chase as he grappled with her.

'You aren't sleeping!' she hissed, trying to get him to let go of her wrists.

'Who in their right minds would sleep with such beauty beside them for the taking?' Byakuya whispered in her ear, his hands caressing every inch of her already soft skin.

She whimpered, allowing him to drape the rope around her arms, tying her up again. 'How shall I punish you for leaving me, placing a compulsion on me, and getting controlled by someone else, Chiyuki?' he whispered, an evilly smiling expression on his face. 'Should I get cuffs? Or a whip?'

She gasped as he pulled her to a kneeling position, facing him as he licked her collarbone. 'You like that, don't you?' he hissed, noting her reaction as he bit deep.

'I…wait, stop…' she pleaded as he moved to play with her breasts. Licking one pert nipple, he sucked it, rolling his thumbs around the wounded one, causing her to cry out.

'Why don't you let Kurayami out?' Byakuya suggested as he pulled out a silver rope and chains from a nearby wardrobe. 'Then I can teach the dear girl what happens when she convinces you to leave.'

* * *

'Why am I tied up?' Yami yelled as she took over, the black hair turning white, blue eyes shifting to silver, glowing dangerously as she struggled against the silver ropes now binding her. 'Where is…?' she quietened at the sight of the silver rope, panting as the rope strained against her sensitive skin.

Looking up, she saw deep into the black orbs of Kuchiki Byakuya's eyes. 'You…'

'Me.' He agreed, latching her hands behind with a chain. 'You're aching, and wet.' He whispered as he locked the chain.

'I…what's happening? I…want…'

'To be punished? You naughty little girl, it's time to face up to your punishments, you know?' Byakuya purred as he pulled out the hemp rope, now doubled over to be short enough to serve as a cat o' nine tails.

'You little…'

'I cannot hear you.' Byakuya stated as he walked behind her, and began whipping her back. 'Did you say something?'

Surprisingly, it didn't hurt, but it injured Yami's pride. 'You bas…'

'What did you say? You want more, my dear?' he said softly, bending down till his mouth was level with her ear. 'Shall I bend you over?'

'Wait, what are you…' no sooner had she said it that Byakuya pushed his fingers up, causing her to moan in ecstasy. 'Stop…' punctuated by another moan.

'Thrust into you, over and over again? Make you scream my name out? And you'd like it too, won't you?' Byakuya cooed, bending her over to receive him behind. 'My dear, icy flower…'

Kurayami froze upon hearing that. 'Icy flower?' she asked.

'So brittle and beautiful, and so easy to read, like you right now.' He clarified. 'The dark flower…'

She was not prepared for that pain, tinged with such sweetness, as he whipped her back. Even as she tried to struggle, she could not fight the accursed bindings that held her in place, nor could she not cry out in that ecstasy as he whipped her.

'Do you know what you did, my dark flower? And now, you must be punished.' he whispered into her ear as he thrust forward.

Kurayami cried out in pain as he thrust into her unprepared entrance. With her eyes closed, she fought her binds ferociously, seeking a way to break out of it. The ropes strained against her skin, heightening the pleasure felt as the friction rubbed her skin raw.

Once the climax was over, she laid there, fluids mixed with semen trickling out between her inner thighs, panting.

Byakuya pulled out for a moment, and then readied himself and Yami again.

'Mine.' He spoke as he thrust in again, Yami crying out, moaning in pleasure.

'Y-Yours.' She stuttered, gasping between words, before giving out, collapsing onto the soft futon.

For the first in a long time, he grinned outwardly as he joined her. 'Always.'

* * *

When Chiyuki woke up again, she was still in the futon. Byakuya lay beside her, his warm, long and strong hands roaming through her body.

'Your other self was rather loud through the whole activity.' Byakuya told her, grinning. 'Not to mention that she was as equally masochistic as you.'

Which was freakier, that another self of her was sharing masochistic tendencies, or that Byakuya knew what was that term, or hey, how about the fact that Byakuya was a freaking _sadist_? 'I don't know, really. I feel like…like…'

'Like?' he prompted.

'Like I want more.' She finished, blushing.

'Well then, I must satisfy my wife, no?' Byakuya whispered conspirationally in her ear as he overshadowed her, spreading her legs wide. 'Unless you want to be bound and whipped again?' he cocked an eyebrow.

'We can hold the ceremony tonight.' She whispered back. 'Then I'll let you do whatever you want.'

'Agreed, my dear.'

* * *

_**I needed the lemon…felt like something was lacking in my life…**_

_**'Tis the witching hour of night, Orbed is the moon and bright, And the stars they glisten, glisten, Seeming with bright eyes to listen- For what listen they?**_


	53. Chapter 52: OMAKE: PHILOSOPHY

_**OMAKES…Love them…**_

_**This omake will take the titles of a few philosophies I found in One Piece and found them so inspiring that I got to write this…**_

* * *

**When do People die?**

'Stop already,' Chiyuki scolded as she stepped out of the room, 'I need to get something from my room. That's why stop that already, Danna Sama.'

Slamming the screen behind her, she walked on to a deserted hallway, which was decidedly innocent except that it was lighter here than the rest of the house.

'Yoruichi San, if you have something to say, I recommend it now instead of attacking me at night.' Chiyuki spoke to nothing in particular.

A shadow in the ceiling beam moved behind Chiyuki, and the black cat landed on the floor, back to Chiyuki's. 'How did you know I was here?' Yoruichi asked in her cat voice.

'I was trained,' Chiyuki answered. 'I presume you're here to talk about Yoichi San, correct?' she continued, not turning to face Yoruichi.

'True, and having been exposed to that sixth sense before, I presume you know what I want.' Yoruichi replied.

'Firstly, I must apologise for tampering with your memories, although I have no idea how Urahara Kisuke managed to recover it.' Chiyuki said. 'Regardless, you are here to talk about Yoichi San's contract, no?'

'Yes. If possible, I want to hear the basis of what you call a 'contract'.' Yoruichi emphasised on the last word.

'A contract is a deal made with a human soul, constituting almost anything. In exchange for something, a price is paid.'

'And in Yoichi's case?' Yoruichi got a bit nervous.

'In exchange for turning into something not Shinigami or Hollow, not Vaizard or Arrancar, yet a sentient primal being, and thus saving his life, he gives up one millennium of his new life as the servant of his contractor. At anytime during his contract, the contractor can sell the contract to someone else, where he will have to serve them for another millennium starting from the point in time.'

'In other words, he turns into a slave to the likes of you.'

'I never put it that way; Yoichi San is an addition to the family and our chief of security. Everyone hates it when they have to search for a new chief of security, and he is assuredly paid with holidays and the union of his choice.'

'What will it take in order to nullify the contract?' Yoruichi interjected.

'If nullified, he will most assuredly die.' Chiyuki told her.

'Fine, then can I buy the contract from you?'

'Yoruichi San, how much is a human life? Surely your brother's life is not a commodity to be traded.' Chiyuki said, sounding amused.

'What do you want from it?' Yoruichi gritted her feline teeth, reminding herself that she was dealing with a vulpine here.

'It depends on the deal we make here.' She answered placidly. 'Oh, Yoichi, you can face your sister now.'

On cue, the almost black cat, save for a white streak running the length of its body jumped down beside Yoruichi, looking rather severe. 'Yoruichi, why are you here…'

'I'm here to get the contract, idiot Anii-ue.' Yoruichi scolded back. 'I want Anii-ue back.' Ironically, she sounded like a petulant schoolgirl.

'I'm free from the Shihouin responsibilities, and I like my place as chief in security.' Yoichi defended himself. 'I'm not going anywhere.'

'What happens when you get injured? Then you can't work in security anymore. And then what will you do? If you want to live so desperately, at least come back, Anii-ue. Please…'

'I am a Bakeneko, I cannot return.' Yoichi answered coldly.

'Little Byakuya calls me that all the time, you're normal…'

'No, I mean that I am one of them, a monster in human form just like them. I have cat tendencies even in human form, I can see in the dark, I regrow limbs even if they're chopped off, and save for being beheaded or being thrown in fire, or killed by mystical means, I cannot die. I tried to down poison and all I got was a stomach ache for my trouble. At night, I cannot sleep at all, and I end up as a nocturnal predator. When I get infuriated enough, I can produce flames in the air and manipulate illusions, or even fly. Okay?'

'I don't…'

'Yoruichi, did you detect any changes from my fighting style? Any sign of weakness or aging?'

'No…' the light dawned.

'You see now? I have not aged at all, despite having not practiced for a hundred and fifty years. In fact, my reflexes were somewhat faster, right?'

Yoruichi nodded.

'This proves it, I'm not the same.'

'You idiot, you're my Anii-ue, and I don't care whether you're a monster or not, you're family. So shut up and let me negotiate for your contract.'

'Family love; existent even among the assassins.' Chiyuki drawled. 'Very well, I will release Yoichi from his contract to me early. However…'

'Name your price.' Yoruichi said seriously.

'All the money in the world will not pay for a life gone. So, you will give me half your remaining lifespan.'

'Huh?'

That was Yoruichi's reaction.

'Normally, Shinigami will live for a very long time, possibly forever, although they seem to die off too short to actually determine it. Say, for example, fate decrees you have about five hundred years to live. By handing over half of that, you now have effectively two and a half centuries more to spend your life. It's not much to you, I'm sure. Nothing physical will change, but you'll just go early. That is my price.'

Seeing Yoruichi's frown, Chiyuki added: 'It's a better price already than what happens when you bargain with one of the other Kings, who'll demand your first child or something equally sick.'

'I agree to your terms. However, you must release all bonds with Yoichi, and promise that he can walk free. Understood?' Yoruichi argued.

'Please sign here,' Chiyuki handed Yoruichi a scroll and a pen that she certainly didn't have in her hands before, 'and finalise the deal.'

'Yoruichi, stop already, these people have years of experience making deals. You have no chance.' Yoichi pleaded.

'But now they're signing it.' Yoruichi pointed out.

'No Youkai makes a deal they can't wriggle out of, or take revenge on the unsuspecting human. I know as one and a half centuries of being them. They can't really lie, but they're masters as twisting words. In the end, you'll lose out.' Yoichi said. 'Please, stop.'

'Name one example.' Yoruichi countered.

'Just because they never break a promise doesn't mean that they can't twist it around.' Yoichi said. 'They can release me early, but they can also do it nine hundred and ninety-nine years, eleven months, and thirty days after the original contract was signed, and not break their word. Also, if you say 'all bonds' it also means the life bond keeping me alive. I'd be dead by then.' Yoichi sighed. 'And for what? Half your lifespan for a dead body that disintegrates into spirit particles?'

'You have a point.' Yoruichi said.

'They can let me free, but also when? The Wood King once let someone free two hundred years after their death.'

'Okay, I get it.'

'Yoichi, I had no idea you thought of me as so cruel.' Chiyuki sighed. 'My heart is pierced, poor little me. Tell me, why am I doing this again? It should be within my rights to do a fine-tune wipe on your sister, but I'm withholding out of the goodness of my heart.'

'True, Ojou…'

'Furthermore, someone supposedly dead cannot come back to life, no? The secret of the Youkai will be blown, and then people will seek us out, and then they'll attempt to kill us, and our abilities will be abused by the con of man. No offense.'

'Your verdict, Ojou?' Yoichi asked.

'The story of Izanami and Izanagi no Mikoto: be prepared for death, regardless. Shihouin Yoruichi, your brother has already said his last words. When you walk out, never remember this, and forget about meeting your brother, and my ability to raise the supposed dead.'

As she walked down the hallway to get her 'something, the late afternoon sun shone down on a wandering black cat, who wondered why she was at the Kuchiki Manor, and for what reason she was reminiscing about Yoichi…

'Yoichi, I have erased all memory of Soi Fon's from ever meeting you.' Chiyuki told the cat as it trotted behind her.

'I understand, Ojou. To walk the nights requires sacrifice, which I pay with mine. I don't mind,' Yoichi said, 'as long as I can watch over her from the shadows forever.'

'When do people die? When they are killed with a gunshot? No. When they are knifed and dismembered? No.'

She looked wistfully as she passed a room containing the shrine of a certain Hisana. 'When their bodies are ravaged by a disease? No. When they eat a poisonous substance? No.'

'It is when, they are forgotten. Yoichi, remember this well, and appear in the human world as an urban legend. Once you make it to the books of mythology, people will remember you, and then you will really walk the nights forever.'

_**[A/N] The above is from One Piece, I found that particularly philosophical.**_

* * *

_**[A/N] Another One Piece one…**_

**Death is not an Apology**

In the First Division barracks, Yamamoto was, for the first in a long time, plain sad and weary, like the old man he was.

It was Kazumi Ryuuhi's death anniversary.

This was already bad enough, given that Ryuuhi was one of the best pupils whom Yamamoto treated like a son, and was fawned on by all.

But, when the time actually came, watching Kazumi Kokoro cry her eyes out was worse.

Those old-timers in the Tenth Squad actually got leave, even when they had to face up to their frigid Captain, to come here, to the statue tucked away in the corner of the Academy.

Technically, there was no tomb for the Kazumi, seeing as no body was left to be buried, but the Tenth Squad all chipped in top erect the statue to remember him. True, Kazumi Ryuuhi did not participate in any great wars. He did not stand out among the weakest, nor did he shine amongst the strongest. He was quietly devoted to his wife, and had a love for doing everything with pomp and splendour, except for his moments of passion, which took place secretly with his wife somewhere in the barracks. Kazumi Ryuuhi was not a great hero or someone to look up to, but an ordinary Kitsune of a man.

Still, he kept his promises. Even when the Squad played a trick on him by telling him to wait outside the barracks one snowy night, they found their Captain nearly frozen over the next day, still waiting for the comrades who probably never came. When a prisoner pleaded for clemency from Ryuuhi, Ryuuhi always fought to the last, beating brows with the SouTaichou for an enemy he made a promise to. Even to a Rukongai kid, he kept the promise to give them a better life by sponsoring them in the Academy. The kid was now Lieutenant of the Tenth Squad, stoically standing before this statue.

He even kept the promise to take the Squad out for a party every year, rain or snow. No matter what the reason, comrades of the Tenth Division during Ryuuhi's reign were protected fiercely. No matter how short the acquaintance, he made an effort to remember their names, and always attended the funerals of those short acquaintances from afar, sending his condolences and offering a hand to the families in need. A living example of the nice nobles who never actually gave a coin, but a helping hand, and meant it.

However, he could not keep his last promise: the promise to come home that he left to his family. Even so, he made it almost to the gate, dying just as he walked through the West Gate of Seireitei.

And, for the first time, Kazumi Kokoro howled to the skies, her fury and sorrow deeply felt by all of the Court, the skies answering in booms and flashes, weeping the sorrow that such a man had passed on.

So, to remember this great Captain, who, though not a hero of the masses, yet whose everyday things brought some light to the people around him, they commissioned a statue of the great warrior. Standing seven feet tall, the warrior was imposing, with a dragon of fire twisting about the warrior's waist. The eyes were sapphire: a kind, yet flashing blue.

At the command of Matsumoto, who missed the only one who could out drink her, all the Shinigami, Yamamoto SouTaichou, Kyoraku and Ukitake Taichou, and the twenty-sixth Heads of the Kazumi House, Ryuuhito and Kokoro, bowed down to the statue. Sunlight streaming in, bringing to light the plaque erected at the sculpture's base, among the flower bouquets strewn there…

On the plaque that stands below the sculpture of iron, now tarnished with age, was written the poetic words:

死は謝罪ではない; 私はもどって来る。

_Shi ha shazai dehanai; watashi hamodotte kuru._

_Death is not an apology; I'm back._

* * *

**You still have another Nakama**

'Byakushi, what should we do about the fireworks for the festival?' the President of the Shinigami Women's Association raised at a meeting.

Byakuya was filling in for Rukia who had gone to the human world *cough* date *cough*, and thus present, much to the dissatisfaction [and delight] of the female Shinigami present. 'Why am I being asked?'

'Well, we seem to run out of enough funds for the festival…' Yachiru pulled out the puppydog-eye thing.

'Well, it would have been easier if President would stop using the Association funds for buying sweets!' Nanao screeched, holding her ledger close to herself again.

'Waa, I'm all alone…' Yachiru pretend-cried.

'Don't worry, Yachiru Chan,' Unohana, the supervising Chairwoman, tried to comfort the bubblegum-haired child, smiling eerily as she did so. 'I'm sure all your friends would like to go with you to search for bargains on fireworks…'

And that was how Byakuya found himself outside Shiba Kuukaku's extremely outlandish house.

Oddly enough, when Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko, the twin guards of the house [and in his opinion, equally outlandish] took one look at him, they screamed and ran back in, causing him to wonder what in the world was going on.

Shiba Kuukaku also peered out, looking rather green and fearful, but recovered when she studied him closer. 'Oh, it's just you.' She said, 'Well, come in.'

Once seated and settled with the requisite tea, Byakuya voiced his objective and the purpose why he was there in the first place [Yachiru promised to get out of the room they were using now], Kuukaku was nodding thoughtfully. 'I'm sorry, but I can't do anything at the price you're quoting. Now if you had a more extensive budget…'

'That's cruel, Kuukaku Saaannn…'

Both froze at that creepy voice, looking at each other and noting the expression of fear as Kazumi Chiaki came in.

'Oh, Chiaki, why are you here?' Kuukaku grated through gritted teeth.

'To collect on a loooong overdue debt.' Chiaki said smiling as he plopped down on the tatami.

'Really?' Byakuya noticed that Kuukaku was sweating and he wondered exactly what did that debt entail.

'Yes, now can you pay now?' Chiaki prompted.

'I'm sorry, but I really don't have the resources now, can you please hold off?'

'Ah well, I don't have your IOU anyway.' Chiaki shrugged.

Byakuya remembered the scroll they sent over. With a certain prominent fireworks maker's name on it…

'What? You don't have the IOU and yet you still…'

'He does.' Chiaki motioned to Byakuya.

In the end, the Shinigami Women's Association moved out of the room into the one next door, and Kuukaku paid off her debt, by loaning all the fireworks free of charge.

_As they always say, you still have another Nakama_, Byakuya thought.


	54. Chapter 53:Wedding Crashers Are Punished

_**Let's give the two a big gatecrash at their wedding before it starts, okay? **_

_**Send Kurotsuchi in to kidnap the bride before the ceremony!!!**_

_**I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.**_

* * *

A few days later, or, correction, a few nights later, Byakuya stood for the second time in his life in front of the Kazumi manor, recalling why his grandfather said never to step inside…

_Flashback…_

_Byakuya looked out of the study's window…which looked out to a magnificent view of Seireitei. To the right lay the only noble compound he had not yet seen: the Kazumi compound, forbidding atmosphere reaching all the way here, like a big dragon guarding the city, he thought._

_He knew that the Kazumi family kept to itself, except during performances, where even the lowest dancers received much applause for such moving art. Byakuya himself had accidentally cried upon hearing the music played, like all the sad feelings of the song were weaving itself into his heart. Ginrei had spied it, and chuckled to himself, mumbling something about having cried too._

'_O Jii Sama, why are there no parties held in the Kazumi manor?' Byakuya, then still a child, had asked his grandfather. _

'_Byakuya, I do not know, except that the Heads of House are extremely reclusive.' He had answered._

'_But, don't they have children? Then why don't they come over to play?'_

_Ginrei had ruffled his head. 'I do not know. There are legends saying that the Kazumi play among those in Rukongai.'_

'_But they're one of the Great Four Noble Houses, right? So why do they walk in the Rukongai?' Byakuya was rather shocked, having been brought up rather amongst the elite._

'_That family is mysterious; people hear sounds of laughter, even though it is night and all the lights are down. Screams echo there too, and those who make it out of challenging the family never talk about it; it is too terrifying. They say that the family are monsters, held under the Spirit King's rule. Having this sort of reputation among the elite, the Kazumi family spreads its power base in Rukongai, where they become those who walk in shadow.'_

_Byakuya didn't know that that term referred to those who commit illegal things. 'Walk in shadow? I walk in shadow too, don't I?' he had innocently asked. 'I don't see much difference.'_

'_You'll learn when you get older.' Ginrei had told him lovingly._

_End flashback._

* * *

Then, there was his ever fateful first meeting with a Kazumi…

'_Kuchiki, you're to report to the Kidou professor's office.' The teacher had scolded him off for another act of hubris._

_He had stormed off to said office, where, instead of knocking, and ignoring the blatant PLEASE KNOCK BEFORE ENTERING and the FORGET THE DOG; BEWARE OF OWNER, he had walked in…_

_To see his exact older twin, bending a small girl over the desk and straddling her._

'_Well, didn't you see the sign?' he cocked his head to one side, looking at the rapidly blushing Byakuya._

_Closing the door rapidly, he counted to five and opened it again…_

_To see his older twin, wearing glasses, with the girl nowhere in sight, seated behind the desk, upon which bore a nameplate: Kazumi Chiaki. _

_So this was the famed Kidou Maestro, he had thought…_

_In the future, this man was to symbolise how extremely crazy the Kazumi can be._

_Especially the birthday party. He would never get over Kuchiki Ginrei's surprise to see himself, in the same room._

_And, when he finally achieved Bankai, he did what anyone else would do: challenge him._

_It was a very painful day for him, landing in the Fourth for poisoning several times. Not to mention several scratches, coughs and in one horrific time, spitting blood._

But, since it was kind of through this man, that he met his past and present wife, and so, most was forgiven, if not all.

With a last sigh, he girded his determination and walked up the steps to his wedding.

A Youkai style wedding; the simplest in the world.

* * *

When he made his way up the steps, he was rather surprised to see the stone foxes and cats, normally lining the door, now standing along his path, bowing their heads in solemn salute.

The two giant samurai statues standing guard on either side of the great doors bearing the nine-bladed fan that represented the kazumi emblem, actually moved, opening the doors and then standing back in salute under the expanse of starry sky, made a great parade.

Even more surprising were the other moving things saluting him; he could swear the flowers were using their vines as hands. Youkai of varying degrees, from the tall Rokurokubi, necks stretching tall as a giraffe's, standing along his path, and the Tearai Oni, the great man straight as a soldier, tall as a mountain, to the humble Hitotsume Kozo, which looked respectfully through its one eye, and a little girl servant, who held out her hands for his haori, which he disrobed with her help and gave it over, where she ran up to the mansion and vanished.

After passing this odd parade of sorts, he encountered a rather ordinary-looking old woman who hobbled along with the help of an iron staff. Another old woman walked along her, this one rather gaunt.

The second one leered at him, and licked her lips, the first one elbowed the second, hissing: 'That's Chiyuki Sama's soon-to be husband.' The second looked crestfallen, and when Byakuya passed her, he noticed the handle of a knife protruding from the second's sleeve.

When he turned the hallway, he heard the first's hissing of a few syllables, and the second's rather muffled protests. Judging it as nothing, he turned right, walking past a blinking shoji screen, its many mismatched eyes following his movements, and then left, passing a laughing lamp, a jumping umbrella, and a walking pair of _zori_ sandals [he had to blink and double-take at that one] before he ran into a sobbing Kazumi Chiaki.

That was the creepiest; imagine seeing yourself crying, and running in your direction. Not a welcome thought.

'Waa, my little sister's getting married…' the siscon Chiaki cried as he ran towards Byakuya.

'Sempai, stop already…'

Byakuya was about to move out of the way, but Chiaki's next words made him stop:

'She's missing!!'

He stopped, barely feeling it when Chiaki crashed into him, sending tumbling to the parquet flooring that, he learned, was really stained heavily with blood [not human blood, she had rapidly assured him, but blood from the poor Youkai always bleeding. Plus the results of a few fights that had seeped in too long].

'Where?' he immediately demanded.

* * *

Chiyuki had been on her way back to the Kazumi manor from the Kuchiki manor [on foot; no point in a sedan chair when feet do the job faster] when she was attacked from behind.

She managed to permanently incapacitate a few when a needle was injected from behind, and a specially prepared anaesthetic was injected into the bloodstream.

When she woke up, she found herself tied to a table, in the middle of a room as dingy as her library inner world, filled with rather high-tech equipment with the shiny dials, bulbs and screens that she had a pretty good idea what for.

'Well now, our test subject has awaken.' The creepy voice of Kurotsuchi Mayuri echoed around the medical room. Chiyuki turned towards the sound, meeting instead a speaker attached to one of the ceiling corners. When she adjusted her sight lower, she saw Mayuri, that grinning clown face behind a thick screen of what she supposed was Plexiglass-cheaper and harder to break.

'Good evening, my precious test subject.' Mayuri crackled from behind the screen. 'I hope you had a good sleep, for we will begin experimentation soon.'

'Argh, my head hurts, and your subordinates' blood is ruining my kosode.' She groaned, looking down at the previously white kosode and matching blue hakama, which now looked like it was dragged through a bloody battlefield. 'What is the meaning of this?'

'From the archives recovered a few weeks ago, I figured out that there is so much more I didn't know about the world.' Mayuri explained, rubbing his hands in glee. 'I never knew that there were a whole lot of specimens just within the city!!'

'Youkai,' he explained at her raised eyebrow. 'Creatures that threaten even the Spirit King, said to be able to walk through time at will, hold the world's knowledge and even bring the dead back to life. You hold the secret of immortality, and I intend to study how you heal and continue to live.'

'And you couldn't wait, or capture another Youkai?' Chiyuki asked, struggling against the bonds, both physical and Kidou.

'If I couldn't find a single one after so many years of studying Soul Society, I definitely couldn't find them in the future. Your family was the closest one, and you were the one that revealed this amazing discovery to me in the first place.'

'You do realise that by kidnapping me, you have just simultaneously declared war on two of the Great Four Noble Houses, right?' Chiyuki asked him.

'My dear, what is easier to believe, that I kidnapped you or that you willingly ran away?' Mayuri simpered. 'I can invent a story that you were cuckolding your poor husband and that you decided to run. Tell me, between the word of a Captain and a monster, what will you pick?'

'Don't call me that.' Chiyuki growled as she tore through her physical binds.

'Good, but there is Sekki stone around here; you cannot escape. Anyway, once my lie is complete, you will be doomed to stay here until I find the secret to how you live so long.'

'Kurotsuchi Mayuri, I erased your memories months ago. How did you recover them?' she snarled as she broke the Kidou.

'I had a spare copy. Now then,' he pressed a button, 'let the experiments begin.

A thousand volts of electricity shot through her, causing her to recoil in shock. Her hair turned white, and the tails and ears came out as she screamed her pain to the room.

'Fooled you.' She stopped screaming and said quite calmly. As she got up from the table, Mayuri noticed that the wires were melted, liquid metal dripping to the floor as she walked to the screen.

'Kurotsuchi Mayuri, feel what happens when you declare war against the Youkai.' She hissed as an Amazon Kindle eBook machine appeared in her hand, then transformed into a sword.

'_Bankai: Konjiki Ashiogi Jizo_.' She said as she grinned at Mayuri's shocked expression as the giant baby-like caterpillar with all the blades sticking out of its chest smashed through the screen, allowing her means of egress.

* * *

'We have to hurry.' Chiaki told Byakuya as the pair shunpo'ed towards the Twelfth barracks.

'Chiyuki is in danger from that psycho maniac.' Byakuya replied, worrying more by the second.

'Huh? Oh, not that; Chiyuki is more than a match for him. It's just that my grandparents found out, and Nurarihyon wanted to join in the fun, so now the three most powerful Youkai are going to level the Twelfth barracks, killing all those innocent Shinigami.' Chiaki answered casually.

'That is very bad indeed.' Byakuya said after a thought.

* * *

'How can…how can you use my Bankai?' Mayuri stuttered as he used his hands and feet to shuffle away from the irate Kitsune.

'I hold the memories of every single sentient being in my head, and thus their knowledge and power.' Chiyuki said as she stepped out of the dingy room to an equally dingy corridor, eyes glowing furious silver. 'You picked the wrong time and the wrong Kitsune to mess with, Kurotsuchi.'

Mayuri began to feel fear for his life as he scrabbled up for the exit. 'Help! Somebody! Anybody!' he screamed in fear as he scrambled up, to meet the most fearsome beings he had ever met.

Two foxes, one red, one white, enmating fire and ice respectively, growled as they slinked towards him, blue fire trailing in their wake as they howled, their nine tails waving behind them, crackling with intense electricity. In front and center of the foxes, Nura Kazuya stood, black shadow surrounding the King of the Night as he stepped menacingly towards the Shinigami, dark fire lapping on his feet.

'Ah! No, forgive me…not.' Mayuri grinned as he pulled a nearby lever, encasing the trio in a Sekki rock cage. 'This cage was built specifically to hold you for my experiments.' Mayuri gleefully told Nurarihyon. 'Now you will be trapped here for all eternity…'

'Is this it? Such weak scum that dares to declare war on us.' Nurarihyon declared. With a single wave, the dark fire burned the rock, melting it to nothing.

'What? This is imposs…'

'Nothing is impossible.' The red fox declared as it melted the cage bars. 'You just need plain fire to do it.'

'Or plain ice.' The white fox added, freezing the bars before kicking them, breaking the more brittle rock. 'The weakness of Sekki stone is that only spiritual energy is absorbed; if it is converted, all that's standing in the way is rock.'

As the foxes walked out, they shifted before Mayuri's eyes into the infamous forms of Soul Society's greatest Kenpachi and his consort, both holding swords. Ryuuhito wielded his all-red Zanpakutou, shouting: '_Upon my command, slay the demons that dare to stand in my way and massacre that evil, Shodai Kitetsu_!!'

As the mist cleared, Ryuuhito was still holding that one sword, but now an aura of dangerous power surrounded it. Withy a single slash, the main pillar crumbled.

'Hyakka: Arashi no Sakura.' Kokoro hissed as she danced, killing all the Shinigami that stood in their way.

'Well, I don't need to contribute any more up here, I think I'll head down and destroy anything in the foundations.' Nurarihyon told Mayuri.

A boom sounded, and Chiyuki floated up, she said: 'I already took care of that.'

As Nurarihyon nodded, Nemu came running in, assessing the damage caused. 'Mayuri Sama.' She said emotionlessly as she helped Mayuri up.

'Good Nemu. Hurry, buy me some time while I run for reinforcements.' Mayuri was about to run when Nurarihyon appeared in his way, blocking his path.

Mayuri drew Ashiogi Jizo and slashed, but it cut through Nurarihyon like mist, like Nurarihyon was liquid mist, unable to be hurt.

As the mist reformed into Nurarihyon's shape, he grabbed the Captain and set him back five paces. 'It's against the laws to kill a Captain, sop you stay here, unless you want to end up like your Lieutenant there.'

Mayuri looked back in horror, to see his daughter and creation being repeatedly burnt, frozen, and clearly undergoing mental anguish. Despite being created, Nemu's body was clearly breaking.

Then, the three Kitsune left her there on the floor, suffering, and came over to Mayuri.

'One of our kind has been attacked.' Nurarihyon was serious now, looming over the terrified scientist. 'And when we report this, the Gotei's own officers turn out to be responsible. This is tantamount as a declaration of war to us.'

'I disagree.' Yamamoto boomed from the entrance. Flanked on both sides by Byakuya and Chiaki, with Sasakibe following behind, Yamamoto trailed in. Immediately, Byakuya rushed towards her, enveloping her petite [and slightly bloody] frame in his arms.

'I apologise for my failure in disciplining my subordinate.' Yamamoto bowed in apology to Nurarihyon. 'Rest assured that all damages in this case will be paid in full to the Lady.'

'The Kings will seek his blood if any damage happens to the Memoria.' Nurarihyon growled. 'I do not want apology,' he bared his teeth, showing little pointed canines; 'I want his blood and punishment until I am appeased.'

'I still apologise for my subordinate's mistake, seeing as ultimately, Mayuri was responsible.' Yamamoto said, producing a feather the colour of night from his sleeve. 'I use my favour to plead for war not to be declared. Damage has been done to a favourite of the Court, and I demand payment in kind.'

'I accept that. However, surely you do not want me to hand over one of the Captains to you?' Yamamoto feigned surprise, releasing his reiatsu into the air.

Yamamoto's reiatsu was barely felt through the terrible dark aura seeping through the air out of Nurarihyon. Electricity crackled, wind whispered, and the atmosphere felt like that of a real haunted house.

'You hold one of ours hostage; why should we not do so as well?' Nurarihyon asked casually.

'I will have to give Kurotsuchi a court-martial first.' Yamamoto replied. 'You may have to wait.'

'Very well; I can wait.' Eyes flashing glassy black, Nurarihyon made to walk out. 'I can wait until the sun grows cold.'

As the Dark general walked out, Renji rushed in, followed by a troop of Shinigami. 'Kuchiki Taichou, what's going on?' Renji asked, surveying the damage.

As Chiyuki quickly powered down, turning her hair back to black and making the tails and ears disappear while hidden by Byakuya's larger frame, Byakuya answered: 'Oh, just that Kurotsuchi Taichou is placed under court-martial for kidnapping my wife, and so the two houses agreed to level the place.'

'Abarai Fukutaichou, confiscate Ashiogi Jizo and throw Kurotsuchi Taichou into the Shrine of Penitence.' Yamamoto ordered. 'Kurotsuchi is to undergo court martial tomorrow. Maximum security, take no chances. Those that offend two noble houses at the same time generally don't survive for it.'

'Ah, Hai!!' Renji saluted, producing a pair of reiatsu-restraining cuffs.

Kurotsuchi was just about to resist when a whisper, cold as ice, cruel and yet beautiful, reached his ear: 'Feel the pain of those you have tortured through the centuries.'

Images began flashing through his mind; his body began to feel pain, coming from places that he had never hurt before, memories of torture implements he had invented inflicting pain on him…he screamed out to the heavens, gone mad with the pain.

Behind him, Byakuya heard his wife whisper: 'One year, two years, four years, eight years, sixteen, thirty-two, sixty-four, hundred-twenty-eight…one person, two, four, eight, sixteen, thirty-two, sixty-four, hundred, thousand…pain, suffering, never forget, forget me not, loneliness, cruelty…feel them all, and never forget.'

Watching Kurotsuchi, gone mad, quietly give up his Zanpakutou and go quietly, Byakuya felt that the mad scientist may not really deserve it…but took that back when the nutty guy called his wife a monster, yelling out vulgarities as he was dragged away.

'What will happen to him?' Byakuya whispered to Chiaki.

'Assuming he survives the trial, they'll send him to exile in our world as a…well, you don't want to know, just that he'll wish for an execution.' Chiaki muttered back.

'He deserves it.' Chiyuki said coldly, an expression of hate on her face. 'He ruined my wedding.'

'Well, the night is still young.' Chiaki told them. 'Shall we continue?'

* * *

_**The night walked down the sky with the moon in her hand.**_

_**Soon to be finished…**_


	55. Chapter 54:Fox Catches the Moon END

_**And the chase begins…**_

_**Night, the beloved. Night, when words fade and things come alive. When the destructive analysis of day is done, and all that is truly important becomes whole and sound again. When man reassembles his fragmentary self and grows with the calm of a tree.**_

* * *

For the second time that night, Byakuya almost wished he brought Senbonzakura to shred Mayuri into tiny little bits.

Having been declared 'unfit to go through the wedding ceremony' by a grinning Chiaki [for some eerie unknown reason], Chiyuki was now seated at home, in the middle of a banquet, beside him. Unable to pull her back with him, he had cursed the clown for the first time as he was shown his place at the 'banquet'.

Party would be a more accurate word; banquet just makes it sound polite. Either way, it meant people-sorry, Youkai getting completely wasted on the free flow of booze, literally. In the middle of the banquet hall stood a huge barbeque, with a boar placed on the spit and turning slowly over a fire tended to by fireballs. Surrounded by tables, the boar was the main course, floating knifes carving morsels out for the taking. It was at one of these tables that Byakuya now sat.

'Would you like a refill, Kuchiki Sama?' The white _tokkuri_ jug spoke, sounding like someone blew into an empty bottle. The jug _spoke_; definitely odd.

Tonight, Kuchiki Byakuya finally figured out why the Kazumi never held parties any further than the main compound: How do you explain walking jugs, walking clothing, strange monsters and the like within a manor? This was the stuff of a haunted house, not the ancestral seat of one of the Great Four Noble Houses. Not to mention their much skewed idea of what constituted the word 'formal'…

'No, no thank you.' He told the jug, which bobbed and headed along to his neighbour on the left, an otherwise normal guy, except for the disturbing lack of features upon the man's face. Nevertheless, Byakuya found him quite friendly and soon got along; the booze helps.

'Ne, Byakuya Sama, what's up with you? You're so quiet…oh wait, you're always quiet…' Chiyuki muttered as she laid her head on Byakuya's shoulder, suffering from alcohol intake, no doubt.

Up at the head of the tables, Yamamoto sat with the two old foxes, his face getting ruddier by the minute as the sake flowed. The fact that the old man was pulling out a champagne bottle and popping the cap, decapitating Nurarihyon by hitting the eye, was really ominous as to what constituted 'enough sake' and 'a small cup'. Small was not a word to describe those; that _cup_ could easily hold half a gallon.

'Dear friends, we were supposed to celebrate the union of my beloved sister to Kuchiki Byakuya Sama this very night.' Chiaki called from his place. The crowd hollered/ whistled/ booed/ shouted/ slapped/ made their agreement. 'However, due to the actions of one Kurotsuchi Mayuri, we are unable to do so, and the ceremony was not carried out in the end.' The crowd booed, and a minifight began as the second old lady he met [introduced to Byakuya as the Demon Hag Mai; he later learnt she was a real Demon Hag, or Onibaba, that was considering to _eat_ him] hit a tall thin man with six arms and horns sticking out of his head [introduced as Old man Riku, a Tsuchigumo].

'Therefore, we will have to put off the ceremony for now, as the combined effects of wedding jitters and the trauma suffered may cause my sister cold feet.' Chiaki continued. 'As apology, tonight, let us party!!'

A quartet of string instruments kicked off with a mid-pace song, its dulcet notes serenading the diners. A portion of the floor was cleared large enough for many to dance, and dance they did.

To a normal Shinigami like him, Byakuya was amazed at the movements of the dances; despite some difficulties incurred with the addition of extra limbs/ length of limbs/ weapons/ any limbs at all, they moved rather gracefully, proving yet again they weren't human.

Until a Rokurokubi tangled its neck with the hands of a Tearai Oni [old man Daiki, he was told] and the dance broke up as a fight.

_They all act like drunks in a bar_, he thought, as Nurarihyon bellowed at another guy, and the BakeTanuki Shinga, to get their paws off his robes before he scorched them off. _That proves that they have human traits._

* * *

When he finally succeeded in getting Chiyuki up to the Kuchiki manor without being discovered, Byakuya sat back to reflect on exactly what had he got himself into. The family was nice, and had accepted him immediately as one of their own.

Beside him on the futon, still in formal wear, Chiyuki moaned, though she had drunk barely two cups. Behind her, her tails waved, sending waves of static electricity out.

'That's the last time I ever drink alcohol.' She moaned into the pillow. 'I forgot what kind of effect that accursed thing does on me.'

'What a coincidence, I seem to hold it better than you.' Byakuya murmured as he tugged at the oi knot, which didn't seem to take kindly to his fingers.

'Akane, get yourself off me and into the closet.' Chiyuki murmured.

In front of his astonished eyes, the obi knot untied itself, and then the whole kimono ensemble flew off Chiyuki and into the closet, leaving her in nothing but her brightly coloured underrobe, tied with a simple, easy knot.

'I don't suppose this robe is haunted as well?' Byakuya asked, pulling the string to loosen the knot, which gave itself into his hands.

'No, I'm not that lazy. Formal wear is troublesome without about a dozen people to help, so I ended up in haunted clothing. Frankly, they don't need payment except for the occasional cleaning and maintenance, so these are pretty good.' Chiyuki said, her voice muffled through the pillow. 'Oh…' she moaned as Byakuya's hands roamed over her entire body.

'I have never seen you drink before, so I assume that this is your first time.' Byakuya murmured as he continued to move his hands along her stomach, down to the soft dark thatch of hair over her femininity.

'No, I started drinking at thirteen, but it never seemed to agree so well in my family.' Chiyuki answered, grabbing his hand and moving it to her head, where he absently rubbed her fox ears, chuckling as they twitched to his touch.

'This is fun.' He commented, continuing to stroke the fleshy ears, now twitching as their owner moaned, her cheeks getting slightly ruddier. Sweat began to bead on her brow, and she began panting.

'You like that, I see. What about this?' he asked, bending down to nip affectionately at her breast. Her fingers flew in frenzy, pulling the kenseikans out of his hair, combing through the black locks with her fingers.

'My pride is wounded,' Chiyuki noticed, running her fingers through the smooth locks. 'A man has better hair than I do.'

'Is it?' he asked, pulling her legs open to straddle him. 'Perhaps I should wound it further.'

'Byakuya Sama, I'm going to…Argh,' she groaned as he teased through her inner thighs. 'Stop distracting me.'

'It is night, although technically morning and you are not slipping away again.' Byakuya said, abandoning all pretence and pulling out a length of rope from under the futon. Slim like gossamer threads, she had a pretty good idea where that rope came from; Jorogumo had weaved the stupid thing.

Chiyuki raised an eyebrow. 'Do you think that rope will stop me at all?'

_Said it too soon_, she thought as she lay beside Byakuya three hours later, having been so mercilessly fucked that she wouldn't even be able to get up tomorrow._ It's not the rope, it's the sex._

Wrapped in his arms, for the first time since she stepped into the ancestral seat of the Kuchiki, she really felt safe, as if she belonged in those muscular arms. Which she would run into no matter what; He was hers, and he stays hers.

* * *

Finally, under the late spring moon, after Hisana's death anniversary, the two, witnessed by Kazumi Chiaki, Kurosaki Ichigo [who was insisted to come by Rukia] and Kuchiki Rukia [who persuaded her sister not to help in Kurosaki's murder until after the ceremony, excluding the part where he would be far away in the human world to chase after them], went through the Youkai marriage.

Either way, through the san-san-kudo ceremony, Byakuya kept staring with wonder-filled eyes at his bride, resplendent in a red and white ensemble, and he in black. Rain fell, creating a suitable curtain to see the moon through.

Finally, the exchange of sakazuki, to finalise it and welcome Byakuya to their world. When it was finally over, Chiaki went through the formal vows:

'Do you take this woman at your lawfully wedded wife, et cetera?'

'Yes.' Et cetera had been agreed between them, since nobody had a Bible or even remembered the super-long words.

'Do you take this man as your lawfully wedded husband, to care for, in sickness and in health…?'

'Nii Sama, get on with it, I do.'

'Fine, you may now kiss the…'

They beat him to it, locking lips with a passion nobody could fake. Rukia sniffed into a handkerchief, while Ichigo snorted, earning him a glare from the couple even with lips locked.

The ceremony ended with an attempt to roast Kurosaki alive on a pit of fire, heartily supported by all but the groom's sister, who yelled to put her boyfriend down, and no, _not_ on the hot coals.

Unfortunately, Renji came, interrupting his Taichou after the extraordinarily simple ceremony, and actually walked in in the middle of nuptials.

The next day, when asked about his extraordinary injuries, Renji stammered to Unohana Taichou: 'My captain's finally recovered. Yay.' Before fainting from loss of blood.

* * *

Far away under the dark of the light, the Dark General watched over the plains and valleys that made up this wild part of Rukongai. In a forest on the mountain top, he watched, the rain beating at his body, cold, yet anticipatory. Beside him stood a cat, nearly all black save for the white streak running through the length of its body.

Nurarihyon watched out, for he was waiting. For so long, love had abandoned him, and he had found it at last. Beside him, Yoichi stood at attention, assigned to this mission by his masters, whom he would lay his life down for.

Midnight came and went, the witching hour began as the sky wept, and Nurarihyon still watched. Even from so far, he could see right into the heart of Seireitei, where the Lady love slept, disturbed by dreams of an extraordinary nature, but no more; he had sent a Baku to consume them, allowing her peace in sleep.

He felt the joining of the Memoria and her husband; he felt the fires of passion, soon to fade over time into the smouldering embers called love, flicker over Seireitei. Then, he felt the fever of the night's passion, sending Youkai into their mischievous night wanderings, wandering round the Court of Pure Souls.

A flash of red and white; the two foxes stood before him, bowing in submission before taking their human forms. 'It has been done.' The one with red hair, fading to black and then to old gray, rasped.

'Justice is meted, Kurotsuchi will be exiled, and Urahara to take his place.' The girl with silver hair said, timeless eyes flickering in the dark called night. 'We must return the latter in six years; alive.'

'Time enough.' The Dark General answered, dark eyes trailing. 'He will remember this lesson never to face us down again.'

'Now,' Nurarihyon declared. 'We retire.'

The three who walk the head of the Hundred Demons' Night Parade of Spirit vanishes as the finger of Dawn touched the sky, fleeing from the light that weakens them.

And finally, this is over.

_Conclusione della storia._

* * *

_**There is something haunting in the light of the moon; it has all the dispassionateness of a disembodied soul, and something of its inconceivable mystery. **_


	56. Announcement

_**Announcement:**_

_**Now that My New Wife's not Human is finished, I will write a more general fic, Fear and Intellect, to be updated on whim, involving several past/present pairings, the most prominent being an IsanexOC pair. Will include Zanpakutou pairings [probably] as well. **_

_**Some people will wonder why the event is called Intellectus, instead of a cooler name of something. As to that answer, please read Fear and Intellect. Knowledge counters fear, since fear is bred out of the unknown.**_

_**To all who have reached this page, thank you. May the night forever walk with you...and let that which goes bump never catch you.  
**_

_**Signed,  
LaLunaticScribe.  
CE 2009, December the Twenty-Second.  
**_


End file.
